Wales adopts a law banning the sale of tobacco to anyone born from 2009 onwards

The Welsh Parliament (Senedd Cymru) has approved a new law banning the sale of tobacco to people born on or after 1^er January 2009[1], This also includes stricter controls on the advertising and sale of e-cigarettes, with a focus on protecting minors. During the vote, 36 members of the Senedd approved the text, two abstained, and nine voted against it. These measures come ahead of the UK Parliament's vote on the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which could extend these regulations to all four nations.

A generational ban on tobacco sales ahead of the British bill

This measure originates from the British government's "Tobacco and Vapes Bill", which is currently being considered by the House of Lords after receiving support from the House of Commons. If the bill is passed, a generational ban on tobacco sales would then apply across the UK to anyone born on or after January 1st.^er January 2009. In addition, there is strict regulation of the marketing of vaping products with a view to protecting the health of young people.

However, due to the powers devolved to separate nations, the generational ban measure was put to a separate vote in Wales, where it has already been adopted.

This measure aims to automatically raise the legal purchase age each year to prevent young Welsh people from starting to smoke and gradually create a "tobacco-free generation." The Welsh government has previously adopted laws restricting smoking in outdoor public spaces, including hospital grounds, schools, and public playgrounds, to protect children from secondhand smoke.[2].

The law is supported by the health organisations Cancer Research Wales and ASH Wales, who see it as an important measure to protect younger generations and reduce the harm of smoking for the whole community.

Indeed, smoking remains the leading cause of premature and preventable death in Wales, with an average of 4,130 young people aged 11 to 16 reporting smoking each week. Statistics show that smoking is more prevalent in deprived areas, among people with mental health conditions, and in certain ethnic groups.

Wales thus joins the Maldives, which were recently the first country to ban the sale, purchase and consumption of tobacco and vaping products for all persons born on or after January 1st^er January 2007. In France, a cross-party bill was also introduced last November in order to’ban the sale of all tobacco products to people born on or after January 1st^er January 2014.

E-cigarettes will be more strictly regulated to protect young people

The Senedd text also introduces restrictions on the flavours of electronic cigarettes, the presentation of products and their advertising, as well as stricter obligations to verify the composition of vaping devices.

It will give law enforcement officers increased powers and rely on a new licensing system for tobacco and vaping retailers. Trading Standards Wales will receive over £650,000 (€741,000) in funding from the Welsh Government to implement measures to combat illegal tobacco and e-cigarettes in Wales over the next three years. This will include the recruitment and training of five inspectors to help enforce the law.

This reform comes at a time when vaping among young people has increased sharply in Wales, despite the ban on sales to minors. Attractive packaging, fruity flavors, and targeted social media advertising are contributing to the promotion and normalization of e-cigarettes among young people.

Thus, data from a survey by the School Health Research Network reveal a sharp increase in vaping among young people[3]. In 2023, 15.9% of final-year secondary school students in Wales reported vaping at least once a week, and nearly half (45.4%) had already tried e-cigarettes. Regular vaping was more common among girls (8.6%) than boys (5.1%), and many of these young people were non-smokers.

Meanwhile, disposable electronic cigarettes have been banned throughout the United Kingdom since June 2025 for environmental and health reasons, as is also the case in Belgium since January 2025 or in France since February of the same year.

©Generation Without Tobacco

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[1]Ruth Mosalski, New law makes huge changes to the sale of cigarettes and vapes in Wales, Wales Online, published on 9 December 2025, accessed on 12 December 2025

[2]Chris Betteley, Tobacco sale ban would create Wales' first smoke-free generation, Cambrian News, published December 11, 2025, accessed December 12, 2025

[3]Sarah Hatherley, Looking ahead: a smoke-free but not vape-free Generation?, Senedd Research, published September 9, 2025, accessed December 12, 2025

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