The sale of tobacco to minors will forever be illegal in Britain after lawmakers passed a ban this week targeting tobacco products.
The law sets the legal age to buy tobacco at 18 and will increase each year after, making anyone born Jan. 1, 2009, or after ineligible to ever purchase tobacco in the country in their lifetime. The ban will take effect the beginning of the new year, Jan. 1, 2027, Australian Broadcasting Corporation reports.
The ban will only prohibit the sale of tobacco products to individuals under the age limit and will not make possession or use illegal for underage individuals.
“Children in the UK will be part of the first smoke-free generation, protected from a lifetime of addiction and harm,” Health Secretary Wes Streeting told Reuters. “Prevention is better than cure — this reform will save lives, ease pressure on the NHS (National Health Service) and build a healthier Britain."
Smoking is the top preventable death, disability and ill health in Britain, causing around 64,000 deaths every year, The New York Times reported.
The country hopes to also save on health costs to the NHS amounting to roughly $4 billion annually, according to Reuters.
About 10% of the population is thought to be smokers, equaling 5.3 million people older than 18.
The law will also put greater restrictions on vape products by limiting the marketing, sale and use of products. This follows a previous ban on single-use products in 2025.
Before Britain, New Zealand was the first to enact a ban of similar proportions, but it was short-lived, being reversed the following year by a new government after scrutiny from the tobacco industry, according to the New York Times.
More countries may seek to follow the U.K. in banning tobacco products. As of 2024, Mexico, Australia and Canada were seeking to develop laws to grow “smoke-free generations,” according to BBC.
Even though the law is largely supported by the public, with nearly 75% of U.K. smokers saying they wish they had never picked up a cigarette and almost a majority claiming they would like to quit, The New York Times reported, there may be pushback.
The Examination reports that British American Tobacco does not argue that smoking poses serious health risks, but the British ban could lead to “serious unintended consequences,” a spokesperson said.
Japan Tobacco International has threatened legal actions, citing a breach of trade obligations under the World Trade Organization and Free Trade Agreements.
Like New Zealand, time will tell if the ban remains intact.