Indoor vaping will be banned in public places and bright packaging and fruity flavors will be restricted as part of a major fight against the habit.
Retailers will be forced to obtain a license to sell vapes and tobacco and could face fines of up to £2,500 for breaching stricter rules.
Under government plans, manufacturers will have to sell vapes in plain packaging and stop producing tasty flavors in a bid to make them less attractive to children.
The devices will be hidden from view in stores, as is already the case with cigarettes, and advertising and sponsorship of vaping will be banned.
Shops could face on-the-spot fines of £200 if they are caught breaking the law under trading standards, while repeat offenders could face tougher financial penalties in court and have their license revoked.
Under the government’s plans, manufacturers will have to sell vapes in plain packaging and stop producing tasty flavors in a bid to make them less attractive to children.
The Department of Health and Social Care said it will create a “smoke-free generation” by phasing out the sale of tobacco products across the UK.
The proposals, which will be subject to public consultation, aim to protect children from nicotine addiction while allowing adult smokers to use vaporizers as an aid to quit smoking.
The new “world-leading reforms” are contained in the draft law on tobacco and electronic cigarettes, which the Government will present in Parliament today (TUE).
The Department of Health and Social Care said it will create a “smoke-free generation” by phasing out the sale of tobacco products across the UK.
Anyone who is 15 or younger this year will never be able to legally purchase tobacco, as the age restriction is lifted one year each year.
The “tough” laws will also give ministers the power to extend the current indoor smoking ban to some outdoor places, including around schools, hospitals and playgrounds.
But in a major U-turn on the leaked proposals, the extensions will not apply to areas outside bars, pubs and restaurants, much to the relief of the country’s beleaguered hospitality sector.
Disposable vaporizers will also be banned from June 1, 2025 under separate environmental legislation.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: “Unless we act to help people stay healthy, the rising tide of ill health in our society threatens to overwhelm and ruin our NHS.”
‘This government is taking bold steps to create the first smoke-free generation, clamp down on children becoming addicted to nicotine through vaping, and protect children and vulnerable people from the harms of secondhand smoke. hand.
‘This landmark legislation will save thousands of lives and protect the NHS.
But youth vaping has more than doubled in the past four years, with the government blaming “targeting vaping at children through flavors, branding and advertising.” By 2023, one in four young people between 11 and 15 years old had tried vaping
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: “Unless we act to help people stay healthy, the rising tide of ill health in our society threatens to overwhelm and ruin our NHS.”
“By building a healthy society, we will also help build a healthy economy, with fewer people out of work getting sick.”
The proposals, which will be subject to public consultation, aim to protect children from nicotine addiction while allowing adult smokers to use vapes as an aid to quit smoking.
Selling vaporizers to those under 18 years of age is illegal.
But youth vaping has more than doubled in the past four years, with the government blaming “targeting vaping at children through flavors, branding and advertising.”
In 2023, one in four young people between 11 and 15 years old had tried vaping.
Professor Chris Whitty, England’s chief medical officer, said: “The growing number of children vaping is a huge concern and the Tobacco and Vaping Bill will help prevent the marketing of vaping to children, which is totally unacceptable.” .
Hazel Cheeseman, chief executive of the charity Action on Smoking and Health, said: “Vaporisers are a vital tool to help adults quit smoking, but regulations have needed a review for some years now, since attractive vaporisers disposables came onto the market, boosting their use among teenagers.
“This new legislation requires significant powers to regulate product design, branding and content so that they can protect children from taking up vaping and improve product quality for switching adults.”
The Conservatives had proposed their own tobacco and e-cigarettes bill, but it did not become law before the general election. It didn’t contain that many measures.
Smoking claims around 80,000 lives a year in the UK, putting enormous pressure on the NHS, which accepts appointments, scans and operations, and costing taxpayers £3.1bn a year.
The cost of smoking to the economy is even greater, with £18bn lost in productivity each year, as smokers are a third more likely to be off work sick, the Department of Health and Social Care said. .
Shops could face immediate fines of £200 if trading standards catch them breaking the law, while repeat offenders could face tougher financial penalties in court and have their license revoked.
Professor Chris Whitty, England’s chief medical officer, said: “The growing number of children vaping is a huge concern and the Tobacco and Vaping Bill will help prevent the marketing of vapes to children, which is totally unacceptable.” .
Tobacco is responsible for one in four cancer deaths and kills up to two-thirds of its long-term users.
Smoking also substantially increases the risk of many major diseases throughout a person’s life, including stroke, diabetes, heart disease, stillbirth, dementia, and asthma.
Almost every minute someone is admitted to hospital for smoking and up to 75,000 GP visits can be attributed to smoking each month (more than 100 every hour).
Kate Nicholls, chief executive of trade body UKHospitality, said: “The rumored ban on smoking in outdoor areas understandably caused distress among hospitality businesses, who were concerned it would hit trade and undermine their investments in creating outdoor spaces. free for customers.
“While we are yet to see the details, this initial confirmation that hospitality will not be included is positive.”