UK to Anyone Born After 2008: No Cigarettes for You
Newser • • world
Key Points:
- The UK Parliament has passed the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which will gradually raise the legal age to buy tobacco each year, effectively preventing anyone currently 17 or younger from ever legally purchasing cigarettes.
- The bill grants ministers greater control over the flavoring, marketing, and packaging of tobacco, vape, and other nicotine products to further reduce smoking rates.
- New restrictions extend vaping bans to cars carrying children, playgrounds, school grounds, and hospitals, although vaping will still be allowed just outside hospitals to aid smoking cessation.
- The legislation does not restrict vaping in private homes, pub gardens, beaches, or other large outdoor spaces.
- Health minister Baroness Merron praised the bill as the biggest public health intervention in a generation, while critics expressed concerns about its impact on retailers and emphasized the need for better smoking education.
