Why has such a groundbreaking change to legislation not got much attention?

[confusedlots]

So this week, legislation was passed meaning that anyone currently aged 17 or under will never be able to purchase cigarettes legally in their lifetime. I think that’s fantastic and hope that it will lay the foundations for future generations to never start the habit, including my own children. Do many other countries have similar legislation? I know there’s a lot going on in the world right now but I can’t believe how little news time this has got.

I agree .
The only reason I know anything about it because I read a thread on MN about it yesterday.

I'm really really pleased about it, especially having read, again on MN, that a lot of young people are again regarding smoking as a " cool" thing to do. Anything that that nips that stupidity in the bud would be a good move imo so I welcome this legislation.

I thought New Zealand had similar legislation in place but apparently when there was a change in government it was repealed. The Maldives seems to be the only country with this legislation in place.

I wish the legislation applied to vapes as more young people smoke vapes than cigarettes.

There’s not a massive fuss in the news as the bill has just been passed now, but it was in the news when it went through parliament.

And I don’t think kids smoke, they only vape, so young people aren’t kicking up a fuss on social media either.

I’m very glad it’s not an option for my kids, my eldest was born in 2009.

Vaping needs dealing with now.

Good to see this idea from the Conservatives being fulfilled by Labour. The UK has one of the lowest smoking rates in Europe due to cross party consensus on this topic.
I'm not surprised its not been publicised, this Government do seem to be terrible at PR.
But agree with pp - vapes should also be banned.

100% agree. No one under 30 smokes anymore

We need to ban vapes or have more controls on them now.

Agree. I'd also like to see them bringing in legislation to ban television advertising for online gambling websites - especially those which make gambling look like an exciting lifestyle choice.

unfortunately, young people these days vape rather than smoke.. wonder why the ban doesnt include that?

I thought it had already been made law!
I agree it should be vapes as well.

Yes, agree that vaping is probably the bigger issue, would be great to see that addressed too.

Strongly agree, I like an occasional bet on the nags, but online casinos and FOBT in betting shops are a horrendous problem.

My DD born in 2008 and just turned 18 is already envisioning that when she is in a care home in 70 years time, younger residents will keep sending her out to by cigarettes.

I wish they had added more restrictions on where smokers can smoke.

There will be more restrictions on vapes, no attractive flavours and packaging for example.
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/apr/21/bill-banning-people-born-after-2008-from-buying-tobacco-clears-uk-parliament?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

I remember hearing about it, glad it's gone through.

The public smoking ban came in on our wedding day, I sometimes say it was my favourite wedding present - it's so nice to go out and not come home honking of ciggie smoke as used to be the case. And I remembering hearing the figure a few years ago of how many deaths the NHS reckoned the smoking ban had prevented - can't remember the actual number, but it was pretty massive. Certainly that ban helped a few of my friends stop, who'd found it difficult to give up before because there were always cigarettes at social events. I am very happy that it's now a rare occurrence to actually smell ciggie smoke in public in the UK.

I literally never look at the news online nowadays and somehow I'm aware of this, so it's really not been kept 'that' secret.

We confiscate enough lighters to know that's not true - they're not all budding arsonists.

I get the impression that kids start vaping in their early/mid teens, then move on to smoking when they’re late teens. It’s perceived as cooler and more grown up.

I get age restrictions but saying someone is forbidden to do something which is otherwise legal for their entire lives is batshit.

And banning drugs etc has gone so well…

Plus who will pay the pensions when the money isn’t going to the treasury and people are living even longer?

I started smoking at 15 (17 years ago) and then switched to vaping in 2017. I’ve tried many times to quit but finally managed it in 2025.

I tried the Help me Quit Wales channel - nope, they only deal with smoking. I spoke to the GP - their first line of defence against smoking is vaping. They have no clue when someone wants to quit vaping.

I can tell you - having been crushingly addicted to both - that vaping is far, far harder to quit. The good thing about no long term studies or data? There are no long term studies or data! I could continue to vape a 600+ puff vape every single day and not give it a second thought.

When the government banned disposable vapes, I switched to a higher strength rechargeable model and cut my expenditure by two thirds - it was fantastic. What an own goal.

It feels like this smoking ban thing is a hollow victory - like banning fidget spinners 4 years after everyone’s forgot they were even a thing. The kids are now vaping and no one has any resources or plans to tackle it - in fact, vapes are literally suggested by the NHS to quit smoking, and no one has any idea how incredibly hard it is to quit them.

We need a serious approach to vaping and really really fast.

Nobody is talking about exactly how they're going to implement this. If, in ten years, someone who looks about twenty eight goes into a shop and asks to buy cigarettes, what exactly happens then??

Yup next up ban on selling vapes like that have in Australia - just come back and it was lovely walking around a city not surrounded by plumes of that shitty artificial smelling smoke shit! Whilst we're at their laws banning social media for under 16s too please!

New Zealand did this and then repealed it, as they lost too much tax revenue.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoking_in_New_Zealand#Smokefree_generation

OMG, this post

I'm trying to quit vaping

I cannot believe the NHS page it makes out like vaping is so much better it isn't

And I was thinking of getting a fidget toy to help and was surprised not to see any spinners - have they been banned?!

I've heard a bit about it. So does it basically mean an age ID is needed to show you're a certain age to buy them? While this can be employed in supermarkets and chain stores, there are so many corner shops that sell to underage/behind the counter, so it just means they will continue to get the trade??