The United Kingdom passed a bill this week to phase out the sale of tobacco nationwide. Anyone born after 2008 will be permanently barred from purchasing cigarettes, vapes, or heated tobacco when the bill becomes law next week, pending royal assent.
Roughly 64,000 people die each year in England alone from tobacco-related causes. The cost to the UK healthcare system of smoking-related illnesses, including cancer and heart disease, amounts to around $4B annually. In addition to prohibiting vendors from selling tobacco to future generations, the bill requires smoke-free premises—including playgrounds, hospitals, and outside schools—to also become vape-free. A study found the new bill could reduce smoking prevalence in young people to below 5% by the late 2040s. See UK smoking trends here (w/graphs).
Smoking is one of the world’s leading causes of death, linked to more than 7 million deaths annually. Learn about the history of the deadly habit here.
