The next generation will be smoke-free as Tobacco and Vapes Bill is granted Royal Assent. 

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The bill has been granted Royal Assent today (29 April 2026), delivering a historic step towards a smoke-free UK and protecting people from the harms of tobacco by making it illegal to sell tobacco to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009.

This world-leading legislation means today’s children will never legally be sold cigarettes, breaking the cycle of addiction and disadvantage that has persisted for decades...

Our study found that 16.8% of high school learners we surveyed were currently using e-cigarettes. There were far lower rates of tobacco cigarette use (2%), cannabis use (5%) and hookah pipe use (3%). The proportion of learners reporting e-cigarette use increased by grade: around 9% of grade 8 students reported using vapes, but this rose sharply to an average of 29.5% among grade 12 pupils (who will turn 18 in their final school year). Some schools had usage rates as high as 46% among grade 12 pupils. Among the learners who indicated that they vaped, 38% vaped daily, and more than half of the learners in our sample reported that they vaped four or more days per week...

With cigarette smoking on the decline as the result of successful public health efforts, the tobacco industry has been looking for new ways to hook young people. Though smokeless tobacco products have been on the market for years, new “smokeless and spitless” nicotine pouches are beginning to gain popularity because of social media promotion...

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Browse the latest WHO published articles on vaping...

Half a million fewer U.S. youth reported current use of e-cigarettes in 2024 compared to 2023, according to new data from the National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS) released today...

Research on tobacco and vaping, including the regulation of e-cigarettes, their effect on health, and Government plans to create a smokefree generation...

Vaping has increased among children and young people in England. This briefing considers the potential causes, implications and the government's policy response...

Today, the World Health Organization released two new publications, “Freedom from tobacco and nicotine: guide for schools,” and “Nicotine- and tobacco-free school toolkit” to help protect children’s health just in time for back-to-school season in many countries...

Findings on youth use for e-cigarettes products...

Rates of e-cigarette use
among young people in the
Region are increasing. National surveys show that the rates vary from 2.8% in Kyrgyzstan (2019) to 41% in Monaco (2019)...

Research commissioned by Health Canada found that the top reasons cited for vaping initiation among Canadians aged 13 to 19 were:

• Friends (58%);
• Flavours (37%);
• “Vaping looking fun and exciting” (22%); and
• Being offered a vape (21%)...

Key points:E-cigarettes and vapes contain substances linked to EVALI.EVALI can present as a wide array of symptoms.EVALI can be difficult to diagnose...

Vaping devices, introduced to the US market in 2007 as aids for smoking cessation, have become popular among youth and young adults because of their...

Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are the most commonly used tobacco product among youth. The 2016 US Surgeon General’s Report on e-cigarette use among youth and young adults concluded...

E-Cigarette Use Among Youth and Young Adults: A Report of the Surgeon General is the first report issued by a Federal agency that comprehensively reviews the public health issue of electronic cigarettes and their impact on our nation’s young people. It is the 33rd Report of the Surgeon General on tobacco.

Vapes are not safe and contain chemicals that can cause serious health issues. Find out what you need to know about vapes and how you can get help to quit vaping...

The rapid increase in e-cigarette use among adolescents and young adults has led to drastic changes in patterns of nicotine consumption worldwide....