Key Points
- Croydon Council has welcomed new legislation aimed at protecting children and young people from smoking and vaping, as reported by London Now.
- The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will make it illegal to sell tobacco to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009, creating a smoke-free generation for that cohort.
- The bill also tightens rules on vape advertising, sponsorship, packaging, branding and product displays to reduce appeal to children.
- Ruth Hutchinson, director of public health at Croydon Council, said the legislation will “save lives” and help break the cycle of addiction.
- Ms Hutchinson said Croydon strongly welcomes the restrictions on vape advertising because youth vaping is a significant concern for residents.
- Smoking remains the leading cause of preventable illness and death in the UK, and Croydon says it drives health inequalities and poverty.
- The new law is expected to support the council’s Live Well Croydon stop-smoking work, which offers free personalised help to residents.
- Croydon Council says people who smoke are encouraged to seek support to quit, with personalised services available through Live Well Croydon.
Croydon (Extra London News) May 6, 2026 — Croydon Council has welcomed the new Tobacco and Vapes Bill, saying the legislation marks a major step toward protecting children and young people from nicotine addiction while supporting wider efforts to reduce smoking across the borough.
As reported by London Now, the bill would stop tobacco sales to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009, making it illegal for future generations to buy cigarettes and other tobacco products once the measure is fully in force. The legislation also introduces tougher restrictions on vape promotion, with tighter controls on advertising, sponsorship, packaging, branding and product displays designed to make nicotine products less appealing to children.
Ruth Hutchinson, director of public health at Croydon Council, told London Now that the bill is a landmark measure that “will save lives”. She said the policy could help end the cycle of addiction by preventing future generations from ever being able to buy cigarettes. Ms Hutchinson also said the council “strongly welcome[s]” the new restrictions on vape advertising to children and young people, describing youth vaping as a significant concern for many residents in Croydon.
Why does Croydon back the bill?
Croydon Council’s support is rooted in the public health burden linked to smoking. The council says smoking is the leading cause of preventable illness and death in the UK, and in Croydon, it contributes to health inequalities, pushes families into poverty and harms children and young people. By backing the bill, the council is aligning itself with a national effort to cut smoking uptake over time rather than only treating the consequences later.
According to London Now, the measure is expected to bolster the council’s existing anti-smoking work through the Live Well Croydon programme. That programme offers free, personalised stop-smoking support to residents, and the council says it wants smokers to know help is available locally. The policy shift is therefore being presented not only as a restriction on tobacco sales, but also as a practical public health tool for reducing long-term harm.
What does the law change?
The central change is a generational ban on tobacco sales. Under the bill, anyone born on or after 1 January 2009 will not legally be able to buy tobacco, a move designed to create a smoke-free generation over time. That approach is intended to make smoking progressively less accessible rather than simply raising the minimum age once.
The bill also aims to tackle youth vaping. Restrictions on advertising and sponsorship are designed to reduce the visibility and glamour of vape products among children and teenagers. In addition, the controls on packaging, branding and displays are meant to limit marketing tactics that could otherwise make nicotine products more attractive to younger audiences.
How has Croydon responded?
Croydon Council has framed the bill as a welcome national intervention that supports local prevention work. Ms Hutchinson said the legislation gives public health teams a real opportunity to interrupt addiction before it begins, rather than dealing with its impact years later. She also linked the measure to the council’s concern that vaping has become a growing issue for children and young people.
The council’s message is not only about regulation but also about support. Through Live Well Croydon, residents can access stop-smoking help, and NHS service information for Live Well Croydon says people can self-refer for extra support. Croydon health services have also said the service has helped more than 1,500 local people over the past year, with users reported to be four times more likely to quit smoking as a result.
What support is available locally?
Live Well Croydon is the main route the council points smokers towards if they want to quit. NHS service information describes it as a stop-smoking support service for the Croydon area, with self-referral available and weekday access. The service also provides tips online and additional health-trainer support for those who need more help.
Croydon health services say smokers can contact the Live Well Stop Smoking Service directly, and that the support extends to patients, staff, visitors and the wider public. The council says using a stop-smoking service can make people up to four times more likely to quit successfully. That message sits alongside the new law as part of a broader effort to reduce smoking rates and prevent future harm.
What is the wider public health context?
Smoking remains a major public health issue in the UK, and Croydon is presenting the bill as part of a long-term prevention strategy. The council says tobacco use deepens inequality because the harm falls hardest on families already under pressure. It also argues that children and young people are especially vulnerable to the pull of nicotine products, including vapes.
The national bill has therefore been welcomed in Croydon not just as a legal change, but as a signal that prevention is being placed ahead of dependence. The council’s endorsement suggests local health leaders see the measure as complementary to borough-level support rather than a substitute for it. That combination of regulation and support is central to how Croydon says it wants to reduce smoking in the years ahead.
What happens next?
As reported by London Now, the bill is expected to reinforce ongoing efforts already underway in Croydon to cut smoking rates through Live Well Croydon and related public health work. The council is encouraging anyone who currently smokes to seek help to quit, stressing that it is never too late to stop. It says the availability of free, personalised support gives residents a practical route to act on the promise of the new law.
The legislation’s impact will likely be measured over time, especially in terms of whether it reduces the number of young people starting to smoke or vape. Croydon’s response indicates that local authorities see the bill as a major tool in changing that future. For now, the council’s message is clear: the law and the support service together are intended to protect children, help adults quit and reduce the long-term health damage caused by tobacco.
