Liverpool Public Health Leaders Welcome Landmark Law to Create UK’s First Smoke-Free Generation
Leaders in Liverpool have welcomed Royal Assent for a new law which will create the UK’s first smoke-free generation.
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will make it illegal to sell tobacco to anyone born after 1 January 2009, and will come into force from January 2027.
Liverpool has committed to reducing smoking prevalence to less than one per cent of the population by 2040 and is currently reducing the rate faster than the North West and England.
However, there are still around 50,000 people who smoke in the city.
It is hoped that the new age restrictions and proposed powers to extend smokefree rules to certain outdoor public spaces will protect children and young people from the harmful lifelong effects of smoking.
Liverpool’s Local Leadership
The city is leading the way in this area as the council has already designated sports pitch sidelines, playgrounds and pavement seating areas outside hospitality venues as smokefree.
Additionally, the local authority has worked with housing associations to support tenants to quit smoking and live in smoke-free homes.
Last year, 3,644 smokers across Liverpool were supported to give up through the local smoking cessation service, Smoke Free Liverpool.
Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Culture, Councillor Harry Doyle, said:
“Liverpool has led the way in changing attitudes to smoking, particularly through our work, which led to the nationwide ban on smoking in the workplace.
“This legislation will be transformational in ensuring that future generations do not become addicted to tobacco and suffer serious health consequences later in life.”
Tackling Illegal Trade and Vaping
In 2025/26, the council’s Public Protection Alcohol and Tobacco Unit confiscated 536,668 illicit cigarettes with a face value of £161,122.
Between 2023 and 2025, more than 250 local test purchases were conducted to measure sales of vapes to minors, and over this period, attempted sales plummeted from 31 per cent to 10 per cent.
The council’s seizure of illegal vapes has also dropped significantly, from 9,871 in the three months to June 2025 to just 237 in the first three months of 2026.
This is thought to be a result of national legislation, which banned the sale of single-use vapes from 1 June 2025.
A Landmark for Public Health
Liverpool’s Director of Public Health, Professor Matt Ashton, noted that smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death, disease and health inequality in Liverpool despite recent successes.
He described the bill as a landmark piece of legislation that will improve health outcomes for the young people of today and tomorrow.
Smokefree Liverpool continues to offer free, expert support to help residents quit.
This includes one-to-one advice, stop smoking medicines, and Swap to Stop, which provides free e‑cigarette starter kits for eligible smokers.
Whether you’ve tried before or this is your first attempt, the team is available to help.
Residents can visit Smokefree Liverpool, text QUIT1 to 61825, or call 0151 374 2535.
