UK passes bill that will eventually ban cigarette purchases

LONDON (AP) - Opponents of smoking got a breath of fresh air as Parliament passed a bill that will put cigarettes out of reach for future generations.

"The end of smoking, and the devastating harm it causes, is no longer uncertain - it's inevitable," Hazel Cheeseman, chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health, said after a decades-long campaign in favor of legislation approved Tuesday.

Children born after Dec. 31, 2008 will be banned from ever buying cigarettes under the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.

The legislation that needs approval by King Charles III - a formality - before taking effect will also allow the government to regulate tobacco, vaping and nicotine products, including flavors and packaging.

It is currently illegal to sell cigarettes, tobacco products or vapes to people under 18. But most youths today will continue to face a ban their entire life as the minimum age to buy cigarettes rises each year.

The passage gives the U.K. one of the toughest antismoking measures in the world. The law is similar to one New Zealand lawmakers passed in 2022 but that was then repealed by a subsequent government.

The number of people who smoke in Britain has declined by two-thirds since the 1970s, but some 6.4 million people - or about 13% of the population - still smoke, according to official figures.

Authorities say smoking causes some 80,000 deaths a year in the U.K, and remains the number one preventable cause of death, disability and poor health.

"Children in the U.K. will be part of the first smoke-free generation, protected from a lifetime of addiction and harm," Health Secretary Wes Streeting said.