London: The UK has passed a law banning people born after 2008 from buying cigarettes. The British House of Lords has passed legislation on tobacco and e-cigarettes, the biggest public health measure in decades aimed at creating a smoke-free generation. Those born after 2008 will be permanently banned from purchasing cigarettes.

According to Thai News Agency, the essence of this bill is to prohibit the sale of cigarettes to anyone born on or after January 1, 2009. The minimum age to buy cigarettes, currently 18, will increase by one year each year starting from January 1, 2027. This means that next year the minimum age to buy cigarettes will rise from 18 to 19, the following year to 20, and so on, increasing every year thereafter. As a result, children currently under 17 will be legally unable to buy cigarettes for life. Shops that violate the law by selling cigarettes to minors will face an immediate fine of £200, and repeat offenders may be banned from selling these products for up to one year. The bill applies to all four countries in the United Kingdom: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

In addition to banning cigarette sales based on birth year, this law empowers the Minister to regulate other products, including e-cigarettes, in terms of flavor, packaging, and display to prevent them from attracting children and youth. It also expands the areas where smoking and e-cigarette use are prohibited in certain public spaces, such as playgrounds, in front of schools and hospitals, and prohibits the use of e-cigarettes in vehicles carrying children under 18 years of age.

The bill has now passed both the House of Commons and the House of Lords. The next step is to obtain royal assent from King Charles III so that it can officially become law, which is merely a formality.

In England alone, smoking causes over 400,000 hospitalizations annually, results in approximately 64,000 to 80,000 deaths from tobacco-related diseases each year, and places a healthcare cost of £3 billion (approximately 130 billion baht) annually.