UK smoking ban: How new law will work and who will be affected

New legislation will see the age when people can legally buy cigarettes go up by a year every 12 months - meaning 14-year-olds will NEVER be able to do so.

Keir Starmer is pushing through legislation which will protect future generations and prevent youngsters taking up smoking. If it becomes law, the Tobacco and Vapes Bill - which was included in the King's Speech - will deliver a hammer blow to the tobacco industry.

It means children born on or after 1 January 2009 will never be able to legally buy cigarettes. By 2040, the Government says, smoking rates among 14 to 30 year olds will be zero as a result. In his speech to Parliament, King Charles said the Government would "progressively increase the age at which people can buy cigarettes".

According to Government documents, smoking costs the UK around £17billion a year, including £10billion every year through lost productivity. This dwarfs the £10billion raised through taxes on tobacco products, its figures show.

Professor Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer for England, welcomed the move. He said: “A smoke-free country would prevent disease, disability and premature deaths long into the future. Smoking causes harm across the life course from stillbirths, asthma in children, cancers, strokes, heart attacks and dementia. Most smokers wish they had never started.

"Second hand smoke causes harm including to vulnerable people. The Bill to create to a smoke free country in the King’s Speech would be a major step forward in public health.”

Sarah Sleet, chief executive at Asthma + Lung UK, described it as "groundbreaking legislation", adding: "Taking the historic step to phase out smoking – the biggest cause of lung disease in the UK – will reduce deaths from lung conditions and ease some of the £2.5bn burden that smoking places on the NHS each year. But we should not forget those who are already addicted to smoking – we need increased investment in stop smoking services to deal with smoking’s deadly legacy.”

New powers will be created to give on-the-spot fines to people who aren't old enough. A document circulated when the move was first proposed by former PM Rishi Sunak stated: "We will not criminalise smoking - nor will anyone who can legally be sold cigarettes today be prevented from being so in the future."

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The Bill will also stop vapes and other products like nicotine pouches from being deliberately branded and advertised to appeal to children. Ministers will have new powers to regulate flavours, packaging, and display of vapes and other nicotine products.

It is estimated that 6.4million people - around 12.7% of adults - smoke. Experts believe half a million people will die by 2030 if no action is taken to tackle this.

Speaking on the final day of Tory party conference in Manchester last year, Mr Sunak said: "We must tackle the single biggest entirely preventable cause of ill health, disability and death. That is smoking in our country... It significantly increases the risk of stroke, heart disease, dementia and stillbirth."

The then-Prime Minister said: "I propose that in future we raise the smoking age by one year, every year...We know this works. When we raised the smoking age to 18, smoking prevalence dropped by 30% in that age group." He added: "We have a chance to cut cancer deaths by a quarter, significantly ease those pressures, and protect our children, and we should take it."