Key Summary
- In a recent Pharmacy Business LinkedIn poll, 53 percent of respondents said vapes should be included in a lifelong ban.
- While 5 percent believe the current smoking ban is fully effective, 42 percent described it as "somewhat effective."
- The Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026 officially received Royal Assent on April 29.
A poll was conducted by Pharmacy Business on LinkedIn regarding the effectiveness of the recent law that aims to create a smoke-free generation by making it illegal for shops to sell tobacco to anyone born after 1 January 2009.
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill that got the Royal Assent on April 29 after being cleared by the Parliament and the law will come into effect from 1 January, 2027.
Trading Standards officers will have the power to issue £100 on-the-spot fines to retailers found selling tobacco or vapes to those born after 2009. This is in addition to the existing maximum court fine of £2,500.
However, among the respondents to the Pharmacy Business poll, there were not many (5 percent) who believe that the law in its current form can be very effective in making the UK smoke-free.
Eight out of 19 (42 percent) believe the law will be ‘somewhat effective’.
But ten out of 19 (53 percent) respondents believe that the law will be effective if vapes are also banned.
The tobacco ban does not cover vapes, but the law gives ministers wide powers to regulate flavours, packaging, product names and point-of-sale displays, measures the government says are intended to deter under-18s and non-smokers.
The government had last year banned the sale of single-use or disposable vapes over concerns about youth use and environmental damage.
The new bill does not ban smoking itself, nor does it criminalise possession. The intervention is at the point of sale: retailers must verify birth dates.
As per the new law, all shops and pharmacies must display an A3-sized sign at the point of sale stating, "It is illegal to sell tobacco products to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009."
New regulations are being drafted this month to ban cartoon characters and neon colors on vape packaging to make them less appealing to children.
Pharmacies and retailers will soon be required to move vapes behind the counter (similar to cigarettes), rather than having them on open display stands.
The law has been well received by politicians, voluntary agencies working in the health sector and the wider public as smoking happens to be a major health hazard.
The chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), Hazel Cheeseman, said, "The genius of this policy is that it starts small, but gains impact over time."
However, some sceptics say people would try to circumvent the law by asking older persons to buy cigarettes for them.
For retailers the enforcement could pose a challenge as the years pass. They will have to carry out complex verification to identify the legal and illegal cohorts of buyers.
This may also act as an incentive for illicit trade.
Vaping currently plays a significant role in smoking cessation in the UK. Research evidence suggests it can be more effective than standard nicotine replacement therapy for quitting. Policymakers have attempted to balance youth protection with harm reduction, and vaping products will remain widely available. Debate will continue over whether the new restrictions strike the right balance or risk slowing the shift away from smoking.
