The Tobacco and Vapes Act will mean that people born on or after 1 January 2009 will not be legally sold tobacco in their lifetimes. This will be done by progressively raising the age of sale of tobacco by one year, every year – creating a ‘smokefree generation’. This part of the legislation will come into effect on 1 January 2027.
This is a historic step to protect future generations from the harms of smoking. If this legislation has the impact the UK Government hopes, by 2040, up to 10 million fewer cigarettes will be smoked each day in the UK – that’s more than a trail of cigarettes from London to Inverness.
Learn more about the Tobacco and Vapes Act and its impact on Cancer News
Preventing young people from starting smoking has been one of the key calls of our Smokefree UK campaign, launched in 2022. Driven by evidence and experiences of people affected by cancer, the Smokefree UK campaign has help deliver real change.
With the passing of legislation to create a smokefree generation, we've made huge progress against our campaign aims.
Sent over 6000 emails to MPs, MSPs, MSs, and MLAs.
Took our calls to the streets, urging MPs to vote.
Gathered in Westminster with our Campaigns Ambassadors.
But change doesn’t happen overnight.
Over decades, we have campaigned for historic advances towards a smokefree future, from an indoor smoking ban to introducing plain packaging on cigarettes.
We will continue to work with government to ensure that the Tobacco and Vapes Act is successfully implemented in full across all four UK nations. We will also continue to call for adequate and sustainable funding to ensure that everyone who smokes receives support to quit, particularly those who may find it more difficult to stop.
Almost three years ago on 6 July, 2022, over 60 Cancer Research UK volunteer Campaigns Ambassadors from across the UK gathered in Westminster to launch our new Smokefree UK campaign.
‘I campaign for a smokefree UK because…’ – this was the statement that over 75 of our Campaigns Ambassadors rallied around, as they wrote down their reasons for campaigning with Cancer Research UK at Parliament Day last week.
After hours of debate in the House of Commons yesterday, Members of Parliament (MPs) voted in favour of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill during its Third Reading. This brings us one step closer to preventing people born on or after 1 January 2009 from ever legally being sold tobacco, helping to create the first ever smokefree generation.
In March 2015, MPs voted in favour of plain, standard cigarette packs. This was a huge victory for public health, giving millions of children one less reason to start smoking.
Before plain, standard cigarette packs were introduced, we successfully campaigned to cover up tobacco displays in shops and remove tobacco vending machines.
We successfully campaigned for an end to smoking in workplaces and enclosed public spaces in the UK.
Join our community of over 50,000 online campaigners across the UK.
