If voted for by the Northern Ireland Assembly, anyone currently aged 14 and under in the region will never be able to buy cigarettes in their lifetime.

Stormont’s Health Minister Robin Swann, has confirmed that the North will be included in Westminster’s Tobacco and Vapes Bill. The proposed legislation aims to create a ‘smoke free generation’, and was already introduced in England, Scotland and Wales late last year. The bill will ban single use vapes, and make it illegal to sell tobacco products to anyone born on or after January 1st, 2009. It will also provide powers to allow for further measures to curb youth vaping.

Mr Swann has stated, “Smoking kills – it’s that simple. In Northern Ireland it kills more than 2,000 people each year and treating tobacco-related conditions costs our hospitals over £200 million annually. If there are measures available that will reduce preventable deaths, help people live longer healthier lives, then as Health Minister I must advocate for them. It was clear from the UK-wide consultation that people in Northern Ireland are also fully behind these plans.”

The UK government have clarified that the tobacco ban will not impact any adults who smoke currently, but instead that the proposed ban will work as a ‘phase out’ of smoking across the UK.

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