UK Extends Under-18 Sales Ban to All Vapes and Nicotine Products

New restrictions on the sale and promotion of vaping and nicotine products took effect across the United Kingdom on Thursday, 29 October 2026, expanding existing age-of-sale protections to products that had previously fallen outside parts of the law. Retailers can no longer sell any covered vaping or non-medicinal nicotine product to people under 18.

The changes include nicotine-free vapes and tobacco-free nicotine pouches, strips and pearls. Selling nicotine-containing vapes to children was already illegal in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scotland already restricted nicotine and non-nicotine vape sales to under-18s, but the new measures also extend its age restrictions to other nicotine products.

Adults are now prohibited from buying or attempting to buy covered products on behalf of someone under 18, a practice known as proxy purchasing. The rules also restrict promotional giveaways, substantial discounts and coupons used to market vaping and nicotine products. Vending-machine sales of the covered products are prohibited under the new measures.

The Department of Health and Social Care says Trading Standards teams will lead retail enforcement in England. The framework includes fixed penalty notices of £200 in England, Wales and Scotland, while the precise penalty arrangements differ in Northern Ireland. Authorities may also pursue prosecution in appropriate cases.

The Chartered Trading Standards Institute welcomed the closure of gaps in the previous rules, noting that age-of-sale provisions now cover the wider range of products available to consumers. Retailers, including online sellers, must take steps to establish that buyers are old enough. Licensed medicinal products and medical devices are outside the restrictions described in the government's retail guidance.

The measures form part of the Tobacco and Vapes Act, which became law in April 2026. A separate rule scheduled for January 2027 would prohibit the sale of tobacco products to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009. That future measure is distinct from the vaping and nicotine restrictions taking effect today.

Public-health officials say the changes are intended to reduce children's exposure to addictive nicotine products and vaping promotion. The law's commencement is a confirmed policy event; its eventual effects on youth use and retailers' compliance will require separate evidence over time.