According to Xinhua News Agency, citing British media reports on April 21, both houses of the UK Parliament have passed the Tobacco and E-cigarettes Bill, which permanently bans the sale of cigarettes to young people aged 17 and under.
The bill stipulates that it is illegal for merchants to sell tobacco products to those born on or after Jan. 1, 2009. This measure aims to eliminate smoking among this group and create a smoke-free generation.
UK Health Secretary Wes Streeting called it a historic moment for public health, saying it would create the first smoke-free generation, protecting them from lifelong addiction and the harms of tobacco.
Once the bill becomes law, the UK government will have the power to extend indoor smoking bans to public areas such as children's playgrounds, schools and hospital grounds; restrict the flavours and packaging of e-cigarettes; and ban vaping in places where smoking is already prohibited.
Data from the UK's National Health Service shows that approximately 75,000 people die from smoking in England each year, accounting for about one-quarter of all deaths.
In 2022, New Zealand became the first country to enact such a law, likewise banning the sale of cigarettes to those born after 2008; however, less than a year after implementation, the law was repealed following a change of government. In Nov. 2025, the Maldives announced a ban on the sale of cigarettes to those born after Jan. 1, 2007.
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