Under new laws proposed by the government, it will be illegal for anyone currently aged 15 or under to buy cigarettes in the UK.

The plan is part of a series of measures aimed at tackling the health effects of smoking, which is one of the leading causes of preventable death, disability and ill health in the UK.

Although smoking rates have declined, millions of people still do so.

As well as creating a smoke-free generation, the Government’s Tobacco and Vapes Bill will extend the existing indoor smoking ban to some outdoor settings.

Smoking will not be allowed in children’s playgrounds and outside schools and hospitals in England. There are few details about how it will be policed.

However, smoking will not be banned in pub gardens, as had been suggested.

Under the bill, shops will need a license to sell tobacco, vape and nicotine products in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scotland already has a retailers registration scheme.

The plans have been welcomed by health donors, externalAnd are now under six months of counselling.

Similar anti-smoking proposals brought forward by the previous Conservative government were abandoned ahead of the July 2024 general election.

Under the proposals, outdoor vaping could also be banned in smoke-free spaces. However, some health experts are warning that such a move would send a confusing message.

Vape advertising and sponsorship would become illegal, and the government would be able to restrict the flavor, performance, and packaging of all types of vapes and other nicotine products.

Separately, the government has already said that single-use disposable vapes will be banned in England and Wales from June 2025. Scotland and Northern Ireland are also expected to do so.

A new tax will also be imposed on vapes containing nicotine from October 1, 2026.

Smoking rates among UK adults are falling.

According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), 20% of UK adults smoked in 2011.

But in 2023, just under 12% – six million people – did so.

Less than one in 10 young adults in the UK will smoke cigarettes in 2023, down from a quarter of 18-24 year olds 12 years ago.

In April 2024, separate research from University College London showed that the proportion of middle-class and wealthy women under 45 in England who smoke has increased.

The percentage of women in this group who smoke increased from 12% to 15% between 2013-2023.

Dr. Sarah Jackson, who worked on the study, said this may be because this group has been less affected by the sharp increase in cigarette prices.

An earlier survey of almost 6,000 people in England found that half of those who had tried to stop did so for health reasons, while a quarter said it was because of cost.

As smoking rates have declined, use of vapes has increased, with approximately 5.1 million people using vapes or e-cigarettes in 2023.

The ONS says 5.9% of people aged 16 and over vape every day, up slightly from last year, while another 3.9% did so occasionally.

The group with the highest rates of vape use – about 16% – were 16-24 year olds. But the biggest increase in vape use since 2022 was seen among 25-34 year olds.

Research published in The Lancet in October 2024 found that more than one million people in England vape regularly, despite not smoking.

In 2021, only one in 200 did so, but by April 2024 the figure will rise to one in 28.

The UK approach is believed to be inspired by a New Zealand policy.

The country’s previous government had planned to ban anyone born after 2008 from buying cigarettes or tobacco products in their lifetime.

But, in November 2023, the current government said it would repeal the law to help fund tax cuts.

Mexico has some of the strictest anti-smoking laws in the world, including bans on smoking on beaches, parks, and in some cases in private homes.

Portugal aims to create a “smoke-free generation” by 2040 and wants to pass a law that would ban bars, cafes and petrol stations from selling tobacco products.

Canada is hoping to reduce tobacco use to less than 5% by 2035. In August 2023, it said manufacturers would have to print health warnings on individual cigarettes.