UK: Selling Any Vape to Under-18s Now Illegal, Nicotine Pouches Also Covered
The UK government announced on October 29 that selling any vape, including nicotine-free vapes, to under-18s is now illegal across the United Kingdom, and that nicotine pouches, strips and pearls are covered by the ban as well.
Adults buying these products on behalf of under-18s, known as proxy purchasing, is also now an offence; promotional giveaways and substantial discounts are banned, as are vending-machine sales. Offenders face £200 fixed penalty notices. The government has committed up to £30 million a year in enforcement funding to 2028/29, including £10 million a year for Trading Standards and 120 new apprentices.
Officials estimate more than one million children in the UK have tried vaping and more than 370,000 vape regularly. The rules form part of the Tobacco and Vapes Act, which became law on April 29, 2026. From January 1, 2027, tobacco sales will also be banned to anyone born on or after January 1, 2009.
Dame Diana Johnson, the minister for public health and prevention, said the rules close loopholes that let children get hold of vapes. Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty said nicotine harms the developing brain, and that while vapes can help adults quit smoking, children who have never smoked should not start vaping.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 照片：英国一家电子烟店，Ian S 摄，Wikimedia Commons（Geograph），CC BY-SA 2.0 授权 / Photo of a UK vape shop by Ian S, Wikimedia Commons (Geograph), CC BY-SA 2.0
