The UK moves to ban smoking for everyone born after 2008.

Mark Hallam   DW21 April 2026
A draft law in the UK to create a “smoke-free generation” by banning smoking for anybody born after 2008 has cleared both houses of parliament.

Children who do not reach the age of 18 before 1 January 2027 will never be permitted to buy cigarettes or tobacco products in the UK.

Only the king’s signature remains for it to become law.