<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Children aged 17 and under will be banned from ever legally purchasing cigarettes in their lifetime under new legislation in Britain.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The legislation, which cleared both the House of Commons and the House of Lords this week, creates a "smoke-free generation" by making it illegal for retailers to sell tobacco to anyone born after 2008. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Once the bill receives Royal Assent, British ministers will also wield significant new powers to regulate the flavours, packaging, and display of vaping and nicotine products to make them less appealing to minors.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/pokies-loss-sounds-neil-walshe-fight-to-change-law-to-help-gambling-addicts/3337fa94-a633-47a2-a638-abbe1a3be3ce" rel="" target="" title="Neil wants pokies machines to play 'losing sounds'"><strong><span>Neil wants pokies machines to play 'losing sounds'</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The BBC reports that the bill is a cornerstone of a broader strategy to tackle smoking, which remains the UK's leading cause of preventable death and disability. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Health Secretary Wes Streeting hailed the vote as an historic moment for the country. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He stated that prevention is better than cure and that this reform will save lives while easing pressure on the NHS to build a healthier Britain.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/world/uk-passes-lifelong-smoking-ban-for-the-next-generation/64a9b04a-b63d-4bee-a927-7b974d6b4979" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In the House of Lords, Health Minister Baroness Merron echoed this sentiment during the final stages of the debate on Monday. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>She told peers that it is the biggest public health intervention in a generation and assured all noble Lords that it will save lives.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><span>New restrictions on vaping</span></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>While the headline focus is the generational tobacco ban, the laws also tighten the screws on vaping. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Use of e-cigarettes will now be banned in cars carrying children, in playgrounds, outside schools, and at hospitals. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>However, the laws stop short of a total outdoor ban, as pub gardens, beaches, and private residences are currently excluded from the new restrictions. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Vaping would also still be allowed outside hospitals in a bid to support those trying to quit.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>This approach met with some pushback during the parliamentary process. Lord Naseby, a Conservative peer, noted that the bill does upset a great many people in that industry, including small retailers. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He argued that what is really needed is a proper understanding of how to educate people not to take up smoking. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Baroness Merron responded by assuring Lord Naseby that the government has worked closely with retailers and will continue to do so.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><span>How it compares to Australia</span></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>While the UK's "sliding age" tobacco ban is globally unique, its approach to vaping remains significantly more relaxed than the stringent regime currently in place in Australia. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Here, the federal government has effectively moved to end the retail sale of all vapes outside of a clinical setting.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In Australia, vapes are treated strictly as therapeutic goods rather than consumer products. It is illegal for any non-pharmacy retailer to sell vaping products, and the country has implemented a total ban on the importation of disposable, single-use vapes regardless of nicotine content. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>While the UK is just now gaining the power to regulate flavours, Australia has already restricted them to tobacco, menthol, and mint to strip away the "candy-coated" appeal to children. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Australia has also long sought to discourage cigarette smoking through some of the world's highest taxes, with a standard pack now often exceeding $50.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>However, critics say these dual pressures - sky-high prices and strict anti-vaping measures - have allowed black market products to flourish. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h2><span>A call for industry accountability</span></h2></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Advocacy groups have welcomed the UK's progress but are already calling for more. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Sarah Sleet from Asthma + Lung UK said the legislation promised to transform the nation's health. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>She noted that now that the groundbreaking bill is finally over the line, there is a chance to go further to protect public health and hold the tobacco industry to account.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Right now we have a postcode lottery, which is why the tobacco industry should pay through a levy to reduce the harm they cause by funding these crucial services across the UK," she told the BBC.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><em><strong><span>NEVER MISS A STORY:</span></strong></em><span> </span><em><span>Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></em></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><em><strong><span>Download the 9NEWS App here via</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" target="" title=""><em><strong><span>Apple</span></strong></em></a><span> </span><em><strong><span>and</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1" target="" title=""><em><strong><span>Google Play</span></strong></em></a></li><li><em><strong><span>Make 9News your preferred source on Google by</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://9.nine.com.au/8x987w" target="" title=""><em><strong><span>ticking this box here</span></strong></em></a></li><li><em><strong><span>Sign up to</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://login.nine.com.au/edm?client_id=nineatnine" target="" title=""><em><strong><span>our breaking newsletter here</span></strong></em></a></li></ul></div></div>