The United Kingdom has passed a landmark law which will make it illegal for anyone born after 2008 to ever buy tobacco products.

On Tuesday, the House of Lords – the UK parliament’s upper house – approved the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which had passed through the House of Commons.

Health advocacy groups hailed the new law as the first time an entire generation of young people will never be allowed to buy cigarettes or vapes.

The government says it tackles one of the UK’s leading causes of preventable death, disability and poor health.

Presenting the bill to the House of Lords on Monday, parliamentary undersecretary of state at the Department of Health and Social Care, Gillian Merron, told the chamber: “It is, in fact, the biggest public health intervention in a generation and I can assure all noble Lords it will save lives.”

Following the bill’s approval, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Wes Streeting said: “Children in the UK will be part of the first smoke-free generation, protected from a lifetime of addiction and harm.

“Prevention is better than cure – this reform will save lives, ease pressure on the NHS, and build a healthier Britain.”

Here is what we know about the UK’s new smoking law.

What does the bill say and how will it work?

It is currently illegal to sell tobacco products to anyone below the age of 18 in the UK. From 2027, the legal age for the sale of tobacco products will increase by one year every year, meaning that individuals born since January 1, 2009, will never be able to buy them.

The government said up to 1.7 million fewer people will be smoking by 2075 as a result of this bill.

The law applies only to those who sell tobacco products – people will not be punished for buying, possessing or using them, regardless of their age.

As well as inside public and commercial buildings, vaping will be banned in playgrounds, outside schools and in hospitals, as well as in cars carrying children. Smoking cigarettes is already banned in all these areas.

Like smoking, vaping will still be allowed at outdoor venues such as pub gardens, and no one will be banned from smoking in their own homes. Vaping outside hospitals will also continue to be allowed, to help people who are trying to quit smoking, the government said.

The bill also bans vapes and other consumer nicotine products, such as nicotine pouches, from being branded and advertised to appeal to children.

UK ministers will have new powers to regulate tobacco, vaping and nicotine products, including their flavours and packaging.

How has the British public responded to the new law?

People in the UK are largely supportive of a ban on smoking.

An opinion poll carried out by YouGov in 2024 for Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), a public health charity, suggested that 78 percent supported the idea of creating a smoke-free generation in the UK, while 52 percent of smokers supported raising the age of sale by one year every year.

A statement from ASH at the time of the poll said: “The policy has broad cross-party support with 70 percent of those who voted Conservative in 2019, 74 percent who voted Labour, and 75 percent of those who voted Lib Dem. A majority of smokers also support raising the age of sale, more than double the proportion (24% percent) opposed.”

What do health advocates say about this bill?

Anti-smoking lobby groups and health advocates have welcomed the new law.

According to ASH, the anti-smoking lobby group, “this could prevent 115,000 cases of serious illness (eg, stroke, heart disease, lung cancer) and save billions in health and care costs” annually.

“Smoking is responsible for 80,000 deaths a year in the UK, and one in four of all cancer-related deaths. No other consumer product kills up to two-thirds of its users,” ASH said.

The lobby group said its research shows that there is almost one hospital admission every minute caused by smoking, and as many as 75,000 GP appointments each month because of smoking-related illnesses.

“The direct cost of smoking to the UK public finances in 2023 was 21.9bn pounds ($29.6bn),” ASH said. “This mainly consists of lost economic productivity and NHS and social care costs. This is more than double the 8.4bn pounds ($11.3bn) the treasury raised through tobacco tax revenues. This means less money left over for vital public services.”

Some say the bill does not go far enough, however, and should include new measures to help existing smokers.

Sarah Sleet from Asthma + Lung UK told the BBC: “Now that this groundbreaking bill is finally over the line, we have a chance to go further to protect public health and hold the tobacco industry to account.”

She urged the government to improve stop-smoking support, which currently varies greatly from area to area. “Right now we have a postcode lottery, which is why the tobacco industry should pay through a levy to reduce the harm they cause by funding these crucial services across the UK,” she said.

Dr David Crane, founder of Smoke Free, an app which helps smokers quit, told industry magazine Healthcare Management: “The Government’s ambition to create a smoke-free generation is absolutely right – preventing young people from ever starting to smoke is essential. But we must not forget the 6m adults in the UK who already smoke, risking their health every day and placing huge pressure on the NHS.”

How have the industry and others responded?

During the debate in the House of Lords, Lord Naseby, a former Conservative MP, said the bill “does upset a great many people in that industry”, including retailers. “What we really need is a proper understanding of how we educate people not to take up smoking.”

Responding to Lord Naseby, Health Minister Merron said: “I can overall assure Lord Naseby, as I’ve done on a number of occasions, about how closely we have worked with retailers, and we will continue to do so.”

Dan Marchant, director of Vape Club, told Healthcare Management, a UK industry magazine: “Whilst we have seen an overall national decline in smoking rates, reaching its lowest points since records began, it’s concerning that only 25 percent of UK authorities are on track to meet the UK Government’s smoke-free 2030 target. Significant gaps remain in the national strategy to reduce smoking rates.

“To reverse the trend seen in the latest national statistics, we must focus on clear and fact-based education on the relative risks between vaping and smoking. Without this, we risk not only falling short of the smoke-free target but also witnessing a disturbing trend of people returning to smoking.”