The United Kingdom approves landmark lifelong smoking bill, banning cigarette sales for kids.
According to Independent, children who were born on or after 1 January 2009 will face a lifelong ban on buying cigarettes after the Tobacco and Vapes Bill cleared parliament.
Both the Commons and Lords have settled on a final draft of the legislation, which is designed to stop people aged 17 or younger from ever taking up smoking.
When it receives royal assent, ministers will also get new powers to regulate tobacco, vaping and nicotine products, including their flavours and packaging.
Health minister Baroness Merron told the Lords, “This afternoon marks the end of this bill’s journey throughout parliament. It is a landmark bill; it will create a smoke-free generation. It is, in fact, the biggest public health intervention in a generation, and I can assure all noble Lords it will save lives.”
Smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death in the UK, causing roughly 74,600 to 78,000 deaths a year. This agreement means that ministers will soon be able to regulate tobacco, vaping and nicotine products, including their flavours and packaging.
Currently, it is legal to smoke and buy cigarettes and vapes in the UK from the age of 18. It is also allowed to smoke in most public areas in the UK.
