Cornwall Council has welcomed news today (Wednesday, April 29) that the Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026 has received Royal Assent and become law.
The Bill introduces a smokefree generation policy, preventing those born on or after January 1, 2009, from ever being legally sold tobacco.
It also brings into law new restrictions on the flavours, packaging and display of vapes aimed at reducing their appeal to children and young people.
Dr Eunan O’Neill, Director of Public Health for Cornwall, said:
“This is one of the most important public health measures in a generation. Smoking continues to be the single largest preventable cause of death and ill health in Cornwall, and it remains a major driver of the health inequalities we see between our most and least deprived communities. The measures in this Bill will protect children from a lifetime of addiction and help close a health gap that has persisted for far too long.
“We are also pleased to see decisive action on youth vaping. Vapes have an important role in helping adult smokers to quit, but the rise in vaping among children and young people who have never smoked is a real concern locally, and the new restrictions are a proportionate response.”
Cllr Thalia Marrington, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Public Health, said:
“The measures in this Bill will make a real difference to the health and life chances of people in Cornwall, and particularly to our children and young people. Tackling the harms caused by tobacco and by youth vaping has been a clear priority for this council, and we welcome the steps government has now taken.
“We will continue to work with our public health team, regional partners and local communities to make sure these changes are implemented effectively and that local people feel the benefit.”
According to stop smoking charity Ash, smoking currently costs Cornwall around £542 million a year in lost productivity and healthcare costs.
Statistics show around 13% of adults smoke in Cornwall, equating to almost 60,000 people.
For more information on how to quit smoking in Cornwall, visit the Healthy Cornwall website.