UK's Proposed Smoking Ban: Age Restrictions, Fines, and Enforcement by 2027
The UK is planning to effectively ban smoking by gradually increasing the legal age for cigarette sales.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak aims to create a "smoke-free generation" and reduce smoking-related deaths.
The new law will not ban smoking itself but will incrementally raise the legal age for cigarette sales each year.
People born after 2009 will never be able to legally buy cigarettes, leading to an effective ban.
MPs have recently voted in support of these plans.
The British government plans to introduce £100 on-the-spot fines for shops in England and Wales selling tobacco and vapes to underage individuals.
This is in addition to existing £2,500 fines that courts can impose.
The government will spend £30m on enforcement, including tackling the black market.
The new rules will apply to all duty-free shops in the UK, but travelers can bring legally acquired cigarettes from abroad without penalty.
The law does not affect those currently allowed to buy cigarettes.
The UK government plans to introduce a new legislation against smoking by 2027, with the intention of implementing it across the UK in collaboration with the governments of Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
Smoking harms health significantly, causing thousands of different chemicals to be released when cigarettes burn, including carbon monoxide, lead, and ammonia.
Many components of tobacco are poisonous, and up to 70 of them are known to cause cancer.
Smoking is linked to various serious illnesses, including lung disease, heart disease, and strokes.