The government has announced a smoking ban for anyone born after 2009.
The brand-new Bill which was introduced today (20 March) is said to deliver on the Prime Minister’s commitment to create a smokefree generation which will work towards saving thousands of lives and billions of pounds for the NHS.
Alongside the Bill, 'on-the-spot' fines will also be introduced to clamp down on the underage sales of tobacco and vaping products.
New powers will also be introduced to restrict vape flavours, packaging and change how vapes are displayed in shops to protect children.
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Smoking, which is the UK’s single biggest preventable killer, costs the NHS and the economy an estimated £17 billion a year.
The highly addictive habit sees that four out of five smokers start before even turning 20 and go on to remain addicted for the rest of their lives.
This then puts a huge pressure on the NHS, with someone admitted to hospital with a smoking related condition almost every minute in England.
So, under the new Tobacco and Vapes Bill introduced today, children turning 15 this year or younger will never legally be able to be sold tobacco to ensure that future generations are protected from the harmful impacts of smoking.
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Now, the act of smoking in and of itself will not be criminalised, but the government's phased approach means anyone who can legally buy tobacco now will not be prevented from doing so in future.
In response to a huge rise in the number of children using vapes, the Bill will also introduce new powers restrict vape flavours and packaging that is intentionally marketed at children.
The powers will also allow government to change how vapes are displayed in shops, moving them out of sight of children and away from products that appeal to them, like sweets.
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The long-term health impacts of vaping are unknown and the nicotine contained within them can be highly addictive, with withdrawal sometimes causing anxiety, trouble concentrating and headaches.
While vaping can play a role in helping adult smokers to quit, children should never vape.
Under the Bill, enforcement officers' powers will also be strengthened with 'on-the-spot fines' of £100 to uphold the new laws and clamp down on underage sales of tobacco and vaping products.
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This builds on a maximum £2,500 fine that local authorities can already impose. It will also no longer be legal to give free samples of vapes to under 18s.
Additionally, the government has committed to ban the sale and supply of disposable vapes from April 2025 under separate environmental legislation.
Disposable vapes have been a key driver behind the alarming rise in youth vaping, with the proportion of 11 to 17 year old vapers using disposables increasing almost ninefold in the last two years.
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The government has already announced funding to support smokers to quit with £70 million for local ‘stop smoking’ services.
The ‘swap to stop’ scheme, for example, provides free access to a vape kits alongside behavioural support to help adult smokers quit the habit and improve health outcomes.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: "If we want to build a better future for our children we need to tackle the single biggest entirely preventable cause of ill-health, disability and death: smoking.
"That is why, alongside new measures to curb the alarming rise in youth vaping, we are delivering on our commitment to create a smokefree generation and stop our kids from getting hooked on harmful cigarettes and other nicotine products.
"This important change will save thousands of lives and billions of pounds for our NHS, freeing up new resource than can be spent to improve outcomes patients right across the UK."
Health and Social Care Secretary Victoria Atkins added: "Smoking kills. It takes around 80,000 lives in the UK every year and causes one in four cancer-related deaths. It’s therefore only right we take robust action to protect future generations from these harmful products.
"Today is a significant milestone, representing the single biggest preventable health policy in a generation with a first-of-its-kind Bill aimed at preventing our children and young people from falling prey to a lifetime of nicotine addiction.
"This landmark legislation will ensure generations to come will have healthier lives, while freeing up NHS capacity by removing the huge pressure caused by smoking-related illness."
Rhiannon Ingle