The Tobacco and Vapes Bill is now law. It received Royal Assent on 29 April 2026 and became the Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026. It doesn't ban vaping for adults. What it does is bring in a generational ban on selling tobacco, tighten the rules on selling and promoting vapes, and give ministers powers to regulate vape flavours, packaging, displays and where people can vape. Many of those powers still need regulations before anything changes in shops.
This guide covers the Act. For every UK vaping rule in one place, see the vape laws UK hub.
Where the Act stands now
| Stage | Date | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Assent | 29 April 2026 | GOV.UK |
| Powers to make regulations | In force from Royal Assent | Act, s.175(2) and s.176 |
| Most sale and distribution rules (Parts 1 to 4) | Six months after Royal Assent, 29 October 2026 | Act, s.175(1) |
| Tobacco age-of-sale (generational ban) | 1 January 2027 | Act, s.175(3) |
| Advertising and sponsorship ban | Intended 1 June 2027, by regulations | DHSC Health Media blog |
| Retail licensing | Dates set later by regulations | Act, s.175(4) to (8) |
The Act is UK-wide. It has separate parts for England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and each government sets some of its own start dates.
The generational smoking ban
The headline measure. The Act makes it illegal to sell tobacco to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009. That age-of-sale change starts on 1 January 2027. Because it's tied to a birth date rather than an age, the group who can never legally be sold tobacco gets older every year.
This part doesn't apply to vapes. Vaping products and nicotine products stay on an 18-and-over rule.
What changes for vapes
The Act is long, with eight Parts and 21 schedules. These are the sections that matter if you vape or sell vapes.
Under-18 sales and proxy buying
Section 10 makes it an offence to sell vaping or nicotine products to under-18s, with section 11 covering buying them on behalf of under-18s and section 12 covering vending machines. Scotland and Northern Ireland have equivalent sections. Nicotine products such as pouches are covered alongside vapes.
Free samples and big discounts
Section 15 bans giving away vaping or nicotine products, or coupons for them, to the public to promote them. It also covers selling them at "a substantial discount" for the same purpose. In England and Wales it comes into force on 29 October 2026, according to legislation.gov.uk. There's a defence for products given out under arrangements made by a public authority.
Displays
Sections 13 and 14 deal with displaying products and prices in England and Wales, with equivalents for Scotland and Northern Ireland. The government says these powers are aimed at displays "designed to appeal to children".
Flavours, packaging and product rules
Part 5 is where the vape product powers sit. It includes sections on retail packaging, product features, "contents and flavour", emissions and product registration. Part 5 came into force on Royal Assent, but these sections are powers. Nothing changes until ministers make regulations under them.
The Department of Health and Social Care has consulted on the packaging, appearance and display of tobacco and vapes. That consultation runs until 2 October 2026. Any flavour or packaging rules will follow from that kind of process.
Advertising and sponsorship
Part 6 covers advertising and sponsorship of vapes and nicotine products. The government has said it intends the ban to come into force across the UK on 1 June 2027. It covers online advertising, including paid website ads, social media ads and sponsored posts. Retail websites can still give factual information about the products they sell. The exact start date still has to be set in regulations.
Vape-free places
Part 7 lets each UK government create vape-free places, as well as extending smoke-free places. The UK government launched a consultation on 13 February 2026 proposing new vape and heated tobacco free places. No vape-free places have been created yet.
Retail licensing
The Act lets each nation set up a licensing scheme for shops selling tobacco and vapes, and Scotland's existing retailer register is extended. Start dates are to be set by regulations.
What it doesn't do
A few things people often assume, but that aren't in force:
- It doesn't ban vaping or vapes for adults.
- It doesn't ban any flavour, yet.
- It doesn't change the existing product limits: 20mg/ml nicotine, 10ml bottles and 2ml tanks under the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016.
- It isn't the disposable vape ban. That came from separate environmental regulations in June 2025, covered in our disposable vape ban guide.
- It isn't the vape tax. That's Vaping Products Duty, from 1 October 2026.
What it means for you
If you're an adult vaper, not much changes straight away. You'll notice fewer free samples and promotions, and from 2027 you'll see far less vape advertising. Later on, packaging and possibly flavour ranges may change once regulations are made.
The practical thing to watch is the flavour power. If you rely on a particular flavour family, keep an eye on how the regulations develop. Our best vape flavours guide shows how flavours are grouped today.
For travel rules, see taking a vape on a plane, and for getting rid of old devices properly, our vape recycling guide.
We'll update this page as regulations are made. It explains the law in plain English and isn't legal advice. The full text of the Act is on legislation.gov.uk.
Questions people ask
Has the Tobacco and Vapes Bill passed?
Yes. It received Royal Assent on 29 April 2026 and is now the Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026. Different parts come into force at different times.
Does the Tobacco and Vapes Act ban vapes?
No. It doesn't ban vaping for adults. It tightens sales, promotion and display rules, and gives ministers powers to regulate vape flavours, packaging and where people can vape.
Does the generational smoking ban apply to vapes?
No. The generational ban is about selling tobacco. Vapes stay on an 18-and-over age limit.
When will vape advertising be banned?
The government has said it intends the ban on advertising and sponsorship of vapes and nicotine products to come into force across the UK on 1 June 2027. It still needs regulations to set the date.
Are vape flavours being banned?
Not yet. The Act gives ministers the power to regulate the contents and flavours of vapes through regulations. No flavour ban has been made under it so far.
