Under-18 sales ban extended to nicotine products and all vapes

Official release

Children will be better protected from respiratory illnesses and nicotine addiction from today (29 October 2026), as new restrictions on the sale and promotion of vapes and nicotine products come into force across the UK.

More than a million children are estimated to have tried vaping, with more than 370,000 vaping regularly, putting them at a higher risk of developing respiratory illnesses.

Selling nicotine-containing vapes to under 18s was already illegal. But from today, products that were not previously covered by existing age-of-sales rules, such as nicotine-free vapes and nicotine pouches, strips and pearls, will become illegal.

For the first time, adults aged 18 or over will also commit an offence if they buy, or attempt to buy, a vaping or nicotine product on behalf of someone under 18.

The measures also prohibit promotional giveaways and substantial promotional discounts in shops and online, alongside vending machines that either sell or dispense vapes or nicotine products. Local authority stop smoking services can continue providing products to help adult smokers to quit.

Trading Standards will lead retail enforcement in England, supported by new fixed penalty powers which will enable swifter action against rogue retailers. Enforcement agencies are receiving up to £30 million a year until 2028 to 2029. This includes up to £10 million a year for Trading Standards and the recruitment of 120 specialist apprentices to strengthen the workforce tackling illicit and underage tobacco and vape sales.

Dame Diana Johnson, Minister of State for Public Health and Patient Safety, said:

Chief Medical Officer, Professor Chris Whitty, said:

The public health advice remains clear: vaping is less harmful than smoking and can help adult smokers quit, but it is not risk-free. Children and adult non-smokers should never vape.

Today’s measures form part of the phased implementation of the Tobacco and Vapes Act, which became law on 29 April 2026. They support the government’s ambition for a smoke-free UK and the shift from sickness to prevention set out in the 10 Year Health Plan for England.

Scotland Public Health Minister, Maree Todd, said:

Welsh Deputy Minister for Public and Preventative Health, Nerys Evans, said:

Northern Ireland’s Health Minister, Robbie Butler, said:

Dr Ian Walker, Cancer Research UK’s Executive Director of Policy and Information, said:

Hazel Cheeseman, Chief Executive of Action on Smoking and Health, said:

John Herriman, Chief Executive, Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI), said:

Andrew McCracken, Director of External Affairs at Asthma + Lung UK, said:

Peter Roderick, Addictions Spokesperson at the Association of Directors of Public Health and Director of Public Health for City of York Council, said:

Mr Tim Lane, President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS England), said:

Professor Sanjay Agrawal, Special Adviser on Tobacco at the Royal College of Physicians, said:

Professor Tracy Daszkiewicz, President of the UK Faculty of Public Health, said:

Alexa Knight, Director of Policy and Influencing at the Mental Health Foundation, said:

Further measures will follow, including:

UK Department of Health and Social Care · Open Government Licence v3.0. © Crown copyright. Text excerpted and formatting simplified; media and third-party quotations excluded. No endorsement implied.

Source: UK Department of Health and Social Care ↗ · Updated 29 Oct 2026, 3:22 pm IST