Six months until the UK Tobacco and Vapes Act takes effect, with London public opinion polling showing strong cross-party support for ending tobacco sales to future generations
Six months from today, England will take its most significant step against tobacco in nearly two decades. From 1 January 2027, the UK Tobacco and Vapes Act becomes law — making it permanently illegal to sell tobacco products to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009, regardless of their age at the time of purchase.
New polling reveals that Londoners broadly support this direction, with two-thirds of adults in the capital backing the goal of making Britain a country where nobody smokes.
What the Polling Shows
A public opinion survey covering London adults found:
- 66 percent support the goal of making Britain smokefree
- 85 percent support requiring businesses to hold a valid licence to sell tobacco, removable if caught repeatedly selling to underage customers
- 77 percent support a levy on tobacco manufacturer profits to fund quitting support and youth prevention programmes
- 44 percent believe the government is not doing enough to limit smoking
- Only 33 percent believe the government is doing too much
These figures suggest the new law has considerably stronger public backing in London than political debate around it might suggest.
What the Tobacco and Vapes Act Actually Does
The Act, which received Royal Assent in April 2025, creates a permanently rising age of sale for tobacco products. Unlike a fixed minimum age, the generational approach means the threshold rises every year — anyone born on or after 1 January 2009 will never legally be sold tobacco in the UK, no matter how old they become.
The legislation also introduces new restrictions on nicotine products including vapes, tightening regulations on packaging, flavours, and point-of-sale marketing that critics argue have made vaping products disproportionately appealing to young people.
Stop Smoking London estimates the Act could protect up to four million young people nationwide from ever being sold tobacco within the next five years. If combined with expanded quitting support for current smokers, that figure could rise to six million.
Why This Matters: The Scale of Tobacco Harm
Despite significant progress over recent decades, tobacco remains the leading cause of preventable illness and death in England, responsible for more than 74,000 deaths per year. Two out of every three lifelong smokers die prematurely from smoking-related causes that are entirely avoidable.
In London specifically, smoking rates have fallen considerably — from 23 percent in 2005 to 10.2 percent in 2024. While this represents substantial public health progress, it still means approximately 760,000 Londoners currently smoke, each facing significantly elevated risks of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and respiratory illness.
The 19-Year Legacy of Smokefree Legislation
Today also marks exactly 19 years since England’s smokefree law came into force on 1 July 2007, which banned smoking in enclosed public places and workplaces. The impact of that legislation has been measurable and sustained:
- Millions protected from secondhand smoke exposure in workplaces and public spaces
- Thousands fewer hospital admissions for heart attacks in the years immediately following
- Reduced childhood asthma admissions as awareness of secondhand smoke risks in homes and cars grew
- A significant increase in quit attempts prompted by the cultural shift the law created
The Tobacco and Vapes Act is designed to build on this foundation, moving beyond protecting non-smokers from others’ smoke toward preventing future generations from ever starting.
London’s Role in the Smokefree Agenda
London has historically led on tobacco control, with the capital’s diverse public health infrastructure — spanning NHS services, local authority stop smoking programmes, and community health initiatives — playing a significant role in driving down smoking rates over the past two decades.
Stop Smoking London continues to operate free quitting support services across the capital, including the Smokefree app, local authority cessation programmes, and nicotine replacement therapy provision. The organisation is marking today’s six-month countdown by adding a live countdown clock to its website at stopsmokinglondon.com.
Tracy Parr, Programme Director at Stop Smoking London, said Londoners have sent a clear message that they want a future free from the harms of smoking, and described the approaching law as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to protect young people and support thousands more adults to quit.
What Happens Next
Between now and 1 January 2027, the government is expected to publish detailed guidance on enforcement, retailer licensing implementation, and the specific restrictions applying to nicotine and vaping products under the Act.
Retailers found selling tobacco to those covered by the generational ban face licence revocation under the proposed licensing framework — a measure backed by 85 percent of London adults surveyed, suggesting strong public appetite for meaningful enforcement alongside the legislative change.
For more context on challenges facing London’s communities and public services, see earlier reporting on London youth rough sleeping falling while a far larger homelessness crisis remains hidden.
