In November 2025, the Maldives became the only country to implement a ‘generational’ smoking ban, which bars people born in and after 2007 from buying tobacco. (AP file photo)People born on or after January 1, 2009, will not be able to purchase cigarettes in the United Kingdom once a Bill passed by the Houses of Parliament receives royal assent in the next few days.The Tobacco and Vapes Bill was introduced in 2024 under then-Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader Rishi Sunak. He had said, “I propose that in future we raise the smoking age by one year, every year. That means a 14-year-old today will never legally be sold a cigarette and that they — and their generation — can grow up smoke-free.”Now, under a Labour Party government, the Bill is set to become law. Before the UK, New Zealand had also introduced a ban based on year of birth, but later scrapped it. What is driving the measure, and why have some criticised it?The banIn 2019, the UK government announced its ambition for England to become ‘smoke-free’ by 2030, defined as a reduction in the prevalence of smoking to less than 5% across the whole population.It was also part of the government’s public health plan under the National Health Service (NHS). In 2019, for instance, a consultation document on the 2020s noted major health challenges like the need to treat smokers who reached the stage of requiring hospitalisation, boosting the Diabetes Prevention Programme, and establishing an alcohol care team.The document noted that there had been “good progress” in moving towards a smoke-free society. “Over the last 35 years, smoking rates in Great Britain have halved. We now have one of the lowest rates in Europe,” it said. These trends also align with the general decline in smoking worldwide, with about 1 in 5 adults consuming tobacco compared to 1 in 3 in 2000.Also Read | Smokers switching to e-cigarettes have an increased heart attack risk, says ICMR study: Why quitting smoking is the only way outIt attributed the fall in the UK to “concerted effort and government action. We were one of the first countries to ban smoking in public places (2007)… [and] introduced plain packaging for cigarettes (2016).” However, it also identified smoking as continuing to remain a leading cause of ill-health and early death, and a “major cause of inequalities”, such as those related to income and education.Story continues below this ad Source: UK Office for National Statistics.The document cited a Royal College of Physicians report, which said that “Smoking is extremely common in people with mental disorders, causing major reductions in life expectancy and quality of life, exacerbating poverty and presenting major economic costs to the NHS and wider society.” It found that only a minority of people with mental disorders received effective interventions to stop.“That’s why the government wants to finish the job,” it added.The blueprintThe other comparable example of such a ban was in New Zealand, which introduced a Bill in 2022 with similar birth year restrictions alongside other measures to curb the sale of tobacco products. Health and equality-related arguments were cited at the time, with the latter focusing on indigenous communities.The law was to be implemented by 2024, but certain provisions, including linking birth year to sale, were scrapped in 2023. This was aimed at a deal aimed at satisfying coalition partners following the 2023 general elections, with Labour falling short of a majority. The revenue from cigarette sales would fund tax cuts planned by the coalition.Story continues below this adIn November 2025, the Maldives became the only country to implement a ‘generational’ smoking ban, which bars people born in and after 2007 from buying tobacco. It also applies to tourists.The criticismDespite being introduced under a Conservative government, the Bill had opponents within the party. Former Prime Minister Liz Truss argued that the New Zealand measures were based on a “state knows best” orthodoxy which ran counter to what she argued were conservative principles of “freedom”. Former PM Boris Johnson termed the ban “absolutely nuts”.Similar objections were raised in New Zealand, alongside concerns about lost revenue for the government and the emergence of a black market.The UK Bill also speaks of restrictions on vaping, including regulating flavours and packaging. While some have argued this could prevent people from accessing a less harmful alternative to cigarettes, health experts note that vaping is still not safe, and available evidence of users leaving cigarette smoking for it is unconvincing.