UK Introduces £200 Fines for Adults Buying Vapes for Under-18s as New Laws Take Effect

Adults in England, Wales and Scotland can now face a £200 fine for buying or attempting to buy vaping products or other nicotine products for anyone under the age of 18. The penalty rises to £250 in Northern Ireland under new laws that came into force on Thursday.

The rules target so-called proxy purchasing, which occurs when an adult legally entitled to buy an age-restricted product purchases it on behalf of someone below the legal age.

The restriction already applies to alcohol and tobacco. Under the new legislation, it now covers vaping products and nicotine products, including nicotine pouches and zero-nicotine vapes.

Retailers may also refuse a sale if they suspect that a product is being purchased for use by a minor.

Nicotine Pouches Become Subject to an Age Limit

The Tobacco and Vapes Act introduces a minimum legal sales age of 18 for nicotine pouches across the UK.

Before the new rules took effect, nicotine pouches were not subject to a statutory minimum sales age because they contain no tobacco and are used without inhalation. As a result, they fell outside existing tobacco and vaping age restrictions and were instead governed by general product safety rules.

The legislation closes that gap by bringing nicotine pouches under the age-of-sale restrictions and extending the proxy purchasing offence to vaping and nicotine products.

Retailers are also prohibited from selling nicotine pouches, zero-nicotine vape liquids and vape components, including coils, to anyone under 18.

Retailers Told to Watch for Suspicious Purchases

Government guidance instructs retail workers to look for signs that an adult may be buying a restricted product for a younger person.

Examples include an adult attempting to make a purchase immediately after a younger customer has been refused a sale, or an adult buying a product while a young person waits nearby.

Under the new rules, retailers can decline a transaction if they suspect proxy purchasing, even when the person attempting to buy the product is clearly over 18.

The legislation covers attempts to purchase products on behalf of minors as well as completed transactions.

Cigarette Restrictions for Younger Generations Planned for 2027

The government is also proceeding with provisions intended to prevent younger generations from legally purchasing cigarettes.

From January 1, 2027, the planned smokefree generation rules will apply to people born on or after January 1, 2009. Under the provisions, the legal purchasing age for cigarettes will rise by one year each year, meaning those born on or after the specified date will never legally reach the age at which they can buy cigarettes.

The policy was first proposed by the previous Conservative government and is being maintained by Labour.

Research Links Youth Vaping to Respiratory Problems

The new restrictions come amid concerns about the potential health effects of vaping among children and teenagers.

Earlier this year, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health conducted a review examining the effects of vaping on young people. Researchers analysed more than 14,000 published papers, assessed 325 studies in full and considered findings from 81 studies.

The review found links between vaping and several health problems among children and adolescents, particularly those affecting the lungs and respiratory system.

Young people who vape were found to be more likely to experience coughing, wheezing, bronchitis-like symptoms and worsening asthma.

Survey Finds Around One Million Young People Have Tried Vaping

Action on Smoking and Health’s 2026 Smokefree GB Youth Survey found that nearly 20 per cent of 11- to 17-year-olds in Britain had tried vaping.

The proportion represents approximately one million young people, with the figure remaining at a similar level since 2023.

The survey findings and medical review form part of the evidence surrounding the introduction of stricter age-of-sale rules for vaping and nicotine products across the UK.