What is the new law on tobacco?
From the 1 January 2027, a new law is coming into place which will make it illegal for shops and other retailers in the UK to sell tobacco products to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009.
This law is part of the Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026 and will help create the UK’s first smoke-free generation.
This page explains what the new law means and how it may affect you.
What is changing under the new law?
At the moment, retailers across the UK can legally sell cigarettes and other tobacco products to anyone aged 18 or over.
From 1 January 2027, this will change. The new age-of-sale law will make it illegal to sell tobacco products, herbal smoking products or cigarette papers to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009, even after they turn 18.
It will also be an offence for anyone aged 18 or over to buy these products on behalf of a person born on or after 1 January 2009.
This means that, in the UK, it will never be legal to sell tobacco to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009, now or at any point in the future, creating the UK’s first smoke-free generation.
This law will apply to:
- all tobacco products (this includes cigarettes; hand rolling tobacco; cigars; cigarillos; pipe tobacco; waterpipe tobacco, such as shisha; nasal tobacco, commonly known as snuff; chewing tobacco; heated tobacco; tobacco blunts
- herbal smoking products (this includes herbal blunts; herbal cigarettes; herbal shisha)
- cigarette papers
Did you know?
More than 4 in 5 smokers start before the age of 20.
Why is the Government making this change?
The aim is to protect future generations from the harms of smoking.
Around 83% of smokers start smoking in their teens. Starting young makes it easier to become addicted to nicotine and much harder to quit later in life.
By preventing young people from starting to smoke, the new law aims to create the first smoke-free generation and reduce the number of smoking-related cancers and deaths in the future.
Smoking addiction has devastating consequences. In the UK, around 75,000 people die from smoking-related illnesses each year. On average, that's 205 deaths a day, or 1 death every 7 minutes.
Video: Sue's story
Sue shares how she started smoking when she was young as it was the in-thing to do. She describes the effect smoking has had on her life after being diagnosed with throat cancer.
How will the law be enforced?
Local Trading Standards Officers in your local council will be able to issue on-the-spot fines or prosecute retailers who sell:
- tobacco to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009
- vapes or nicotine products to anyone under 18
If you suspect that someone is selling tobacco products or vaping products to underage people, contact your:
Does the new age-of-sale law affect vaping?
No, the new law for people born in or after 2009 does not apply to vapes or other nicotine products.
The law only applies to tobacco products, herbal smoking products and cigarette papers, so shops will still be allowed to sell reusable vapes and liquid refills to anyone aged 18 or over.
New rules for vapes and non-medically licensed nicotine products
The wider Tobacco and Vapes Act will introduce new rules for vapes and other nicotine products such as nicotine pouches.
The new rules do not apply to products licensed as medicines, such as nicotine replacement therapies (NRTs).
From Thursday 29 October 2026, the Tobacco and Vapes Act:
- makes it illegal to sell any vaping or nicotine products to anyone under 18. It is also illegal for anyone aged 18 or over to buy these products on behalf of someone under the age of 18
- bans businesses from giving away free vaping or nicotine products
- bans vaping and nicotine product vending machines (with an exemption for adult mental health hospitals in England)
The government intends to bring in a comprehensive ban on the advertising and sponsorship of vaping and nicotine products from 1 June 2027.
The Act also gives the government powers to introduce new rules subject to consultation and parliamentary approval, including:
- expanding smoke-free places to hospitals, playgrounds and schools, as well as introducing vape-free and heated-tobacco-free places
- restrictions on the flavours, packaging and design of vapes and nicotine products, and their retail display
How will the Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026 affect me?
Video: What is the new law on the sale of tobacco?
Prefer to watch a video? This short video explains the new law on the sale of tobacco and how it aims to create the UK's first smoke-free generation.
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