Despite the strong opposition from convenience retailers across the country, Senedd members on Tuesday (Dec 9) showed support for Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which has aims to create Wales' first smoke-free generation.
The move is being welcomed by public health leaders but is also being met with concern from convenience retailers, who fear it could drive illicit trade and heighten abuse against shopworkers.
Mental Health and Wellbeing Minister Sarah Murphy welcomed the Senedd’s vote on the legislative consent motion (LCM), saying the Bill will protect children and young people from a lifetime of nicotine addiction.
Ahead of the vote, she met school children and heard a poem they had written about smoke-free futures. They had also gathered pledges of support for their vision of a smoke-free generation.
The Welsh Government has led the way in the UK on introducing smoke-free measures. It has already passed laws to restrict smoking in outdoor public spaces — including hospital grounds, school grounds and public playgrounds — to help ensure that people, especially children, are not exposed to harmful second-hand smoke.
Sarah Murphy said, "This is a historic day for public health in Wales. Despite the real progress we have made to reduce smoking levels, tobacco continues to be one of the leading causes of preventable disease and premature death in Wales.
"The Tobacco and Vapes Bill provides us with a unique opportunity to tackle smoking and the growing issue of youth vaping. It is an opportunity to comprehensively and significantly improve public health in Wales and the wider UK."
Chief Medical Officer for Wales, Professor Isabel Oliver, said, "Tobacco addiction kills thousands in Wales every year and continues to reinforce existing health inequalities.
"This Bill offers a once-in-a-generation opportunity to break that cycle and protect future generations from a product that has caused immeasurable harm."
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill is a significant piece of UK legislation which will introduce new restrictions on tobacco and vaping across all four nations.
Trading Standards Wales will be supported with more than £650,000 of Welsh Government funding to implement the measures to tackle illegal tobacco and vapes in Wales over the next three years, including the recruitment and training of five apprentices to assist with enforcement activity.
However, convenience retailers across Wales and the wider UK caution that while they support efforts to protect young people, the Bill risks fuelling illicit trade, increasing abuse towards shopworkers, and placing further enforcement pressure on small, law-abiding businesses.
As the legislation progresses, the sector is calling for stronger, better-funded enforcement, clearer retailer guidance, and meaningful consultation with frontline shop owners who will shoulder the practical realities of implementation.
For independent retailers, who are already grappling with rising theft, regulatory complexity and declining margins, the next phase of the Bill will be pivotal in determining whether the measures achieve their public-health aims without deepening the challenges faced on the high street.