Under separate environmental legislation, the sale and supply of disposable vapes will be banned in England starting from April 2025.
A new bill was introduced to Parliament on Wednesday (20 March) to prohibit the sale of tobacco to children under the age of 15, delivering on the Prime Minister’s commitment to create a smokefree generation.
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill aims to protect future generations from the harmful impacts of smoking, thereby saving thousands of lives and billions of pounds for the NHS.
The bill will also introduce new powers to restrict vape flavours and packaging deliberately targeted towards children, as well as allow the government to change how they are displayed in shops, moving them out of sight of children and away from products that appeal to them, like sweets.
Additionally, enforcement officers’ powers will be strengthened with ‘on the spot fines’ of £100 to ensure compliance with the new laws. This complements the existing maximum fine of £2,500 that local authorities can already impose. It will also become illegal to provide free samples of vapes to children under the age of 18.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak emphasised that tackling smoking – the single biggest entirely preventable cause of ill health, disability and death– is crucial if we want to build a better future for our children.
“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 for patients right across the UK,” he added.
Recognised as the UK’s single biggest preventable killer, smoking is estimated to cost the NHS and the economy £17 billion a year.
According to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), a patient is hospitalised with a smoking-relating condition almost every minute in England.
Smoking is highly addictive, with four in five smokers starting before the age of 20 and remaining addicted for the rest of their lives.
Health and Social Care Secretary Victoria Atkins, revealed that smoking claims around 80,000 lives in the UK every year and causes one in four cancer-related deaths.
“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,” she said.
Professor Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer for England, warned of the numerous health risks associated with smoking, including stillbirth, asthma, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, 15 different types of cancer, stroke and dementia.
Under separate environmental legislation, the sale and supply of disposable vapes will be banned in England starting from April 2025.
Disposable vapes are believed to be a key driver behind the alarming rise in youth vaping, with the number of 11 to 17-year-old vapers using disposables increasing almost ninefold in the last 2 years.
Moreover, the government has announced £70 million funding for local ‘stop smoking’ services to support smokers to quit.
