The UK’s Tobacco and Vapes Act puts the end of smoking within reach, but the job is not done

The UK’s Tobacco and Vapes Act marks a defining moment in tobacco control. Its smokefree generation policy—prohibiting the sale of all tobacco products to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009—represents one of the most ambitious attempts globally to end the cycle of smoking uptake. By progressively raising the age of sale, the policy could substantially reduce smoking initiation among future cohorts and accelerate progress towards a smokefree society.