Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026

Dr Hume continued, Smoking remains the leading cause and lung cancer is often diagnosed too late for effective treatment.

To address this, we must see the timely implementation of the Tobacco and Vapes Act, properly funded stop smoking services and the introduction of a national lung cancer screening programme in Scotland.

That article is by Laura Pollock.

From the National, Tuesday 29th September 2026, from a news section.

On this month's podcast, we spoke to Elsa Rutter, Director of Fresh and Balance, a regional program dedicated to reducing the harm from tobacco and alcohol in the northeast of England.

We discussed why Elsa became involved in public health, her experience of her father's death due to smoking-related COPD, the Tobacco and Vapes Act, why a focus on reducing tobacco harm may come at the detriment of reducing harms from alcohol, how people who continue to smoke need increased support and how the Act survives a potential change of government that wants to repeal it.

Huge thanks for inviting me to help with the podcast today.

I'm really excited about just sharing some thoughts and, you know, the exciting next few months ahead.

Of course, there are.

But there are so many similarities that people recognize in their day to day lives.

In terms of the generational ban, the Tobacco and Vapes Act, what are the sort of core details of that? What is going to happen, especially around tobacco? But then I know there are some other things I'm less sort of clear on myself about vapes.

Yeah, I'll come to that.

Let us know your thoughts on short course entry to the industry, legit route for responsible trainees or total codswallop.

Now, did you know that vaping in your van could become illegal? The new Tobacco and Vapes Act gives ministers powers to designate certain vehicles as vape-free.

That means vaping could be banned in some work vehicles in future, depending on the regulations introduced under the Act.

The important distinction is that the existing smoking ban already covers work vehicles used by more than one person, but that ban doesn't currently apply to e-cigarettes.

The new Act creates the power to extend restrictions to vaping, and businesses will also need to keep an eye on their smoking and vaping policies as the new legislation comes into force.

And if you're an employer, you may need to display legible no-smoking signs in the vehicle or risk a £1,000 fine.

The Vape Superstore advises employees to keep their smoking and vaping policies under review as further regulations under the Tobacco and Vapes Act come into force.

I've put a link to the legislation in the show notes.

And I think nicotine pouches will be treated as tobacco for the purposes of regulation.

And in the UK, there's a new Tobacco and Vapes Act, or it's called Tobacco and Vapes Act, but it covers the nicotine products.

And nicotine pouches will be covered in there.

But again, it's not clear exactly how that will work.

because the Tobacco and Vapes Act is what's called an enabling act.

It means it gives the Secretary of State the power to do things, but we don't necessarily know what he or she will do.

But the important thing is that it means that these products will now be brought under the umbrella of regulation, that there will be standards applied to those products and there will be requirements for testing.