The United Kingdom has passed a landmark law which will make it illegal for anyone born after 2008 to ever buy tobacco products.On Tuesday, the House of Lords – the UK parliament’s upper house – approved the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which had passed through the House of Commons.Health advocacy groups hailed the new law as the first time an entire generation of young people will never be allowed to buy cigarettes or vapes.The government says it tackles one of the UK’s leading causes of preventable death, disability and poor health.Presenting the bill to the House of Lords on Monday, parliamentary undersecretary of state at the Department of Health and Social Care, Gillian Merron, told the chamber: “It is, in fact, the biggest public health intervention in a generation and I can assure all noble Lords it will save lives.”Following the bill’s approval, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Wes Streeting said: “Children in the UK will be part of the first smoke-free generation, protected from a lifetime of addiction and harm.“Prevention is better than cure – this reform will save lives, ease pressure on the NHS, and build a healthier Britain.”Here is what we know about the UK’s new smoking law.What does the bill say and how …
