The Tobacco and Vapes Bill has moved one step closer to becoming law after MPs voted overwhelmingly in its favour – by 415 votes to 47 – in the House of Commons last night (Tuesday).
The legislation includes preventing anyone who is aged 15 or under today, from ever buying cigarettes. It also includes plans to clamp down on youth vaping with many of the measures specifically aimed at protecting children.
Subject to consultation, the sale of vape flavours that overtly appeal to children – such as bubblegum, gummy bear and cotton candy – could be brought to an end alongside restrictions on vape packaging that is designed to appeal to young people.
The bill will bring in a total ban on vape advertising and sponsorship, which will include displays that will likely be seen by children and young people such as on buses, in cinemas and in shop windows, bringing this in line with current tobacco restrictions.
All vaping and nicotine products will be banned from being sold to under 18s – closing loopholes on non-nicotine vapes and nicotine pouches. Vapes will also be banned in vending machines, where they can be easily accessed by children.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting told the Commons: “This bill will come down on the vaping industry like a ton of bricks to prevent a new generation of children and young people from getting hooked on nicotine.”
To bolster enforcement, the government will provide an additional £10m for Trading Standards to crack down on illicit trade. This comes off the back of new data from National Trading Standards (NTS) that shows over one million illicit vapes were seized inland by Trading Standards in 2023 to 2024, a 59% increase compared to the previous year.
In a separate programme coordinated by NTS, 19 million illicit cigarettes and 5.2 tonnes of illicit hand-rolled tobacco were seized by Trading Standards in 2023 to 2024. This is on top of the over one billion illicit cigarettes and 92.4 tonnes of illicit hand-rolled tobacco seized by HMRC and Border Force.
The Bill will also include powers to introduce a licensing scheme for retailers to sell tobacco, vape and nicotine products in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and will introduce on-the-spot fines of £200 to retailers found to be selling these products to people who are under age. Expanding the use of ‘highly effective’ standardised packaging to all tobacco products will also be explored.
The bill will now progress to the next Parliamentary stage.
