Retailers are being urged to prepare for key changes under the new Tobacco and Vapes Act, including a vape excise tax, restrictions on sales to minors, and a ban on vending machines, as new guidelines are published for implementation from 2026 to 2027.
Retailers are being urged to prepare now for the next phase of the Tobacco and Vapes Act, after the Government published fresh guidance on measures due to take effect from October 2026 and January 2027.
The Chartered Trading Standards Institute has joined Action on Smoking and Health, ASH Northern Ireland and ASH Wales in calling on businesses to review the new rules well before they come into force. In a joint letter to the sector, the organisations said the changes are significant but largely build on age-verification and compliance systems already used across much of retail.
According to Government guidance, the first change arrives on 1 October 2026, when a vape excise tax begins. Retailers will have until April 2027 to clear existing stock, but any products sold after 1 October must either carry a tax stamp or have entered the supply chain before that date. From 29 October 2026, the minimum age of sale of 18 will apply to all consumer nicotine products, including nicotine pouches and zero-nicotine vapes, while vending machines selling vapes or other nicotine products will be banned and free distribution of such products prohibited. The Government says the Tobacco and Vapes Act received Royal Assent on 29 April 2026 and was designed to support a smokefree generation.
The final major milestone in the current timetable is 1 January 2027, when the smokefree generation policy will take effect. From that date, it will be illegal to sell tobacco to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009, while existing adult customers who are already legally able to buy tobacco will keep that right. Local authority guidance also says the Act brings in wider powers over advertising, product standards, packaging and licensing, with the exact shape of some measures still to be set out in secondary rules.
The organisations backing the retail guidance said heated tobacco products are now clearly covered by the same display and promotion restrictions as other tobacco products. That means shops that have not yet removed promotional material or updated in-store displays are being told to do so without delay.
John Herriman, chief executive of the Chartered Trading Standards Institute, said responsible retailers already play a vital role in protecting children and supporting fair trading. He said the new requirements should not amount to a major additional burden for most businesses and added that Trading Standards would continue to provide advice and proportionate enforcement. Hazel Cheeseman, chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health, said the early changes were intended to support the Government’s smokefree ambition while keeping lower-risk nicotine products available to adults trying to quit smoking.
Suzanne Cass, chief executive of ASH Wales, said consistent enforcement by retailers would help protect communities and create a level playing field for businesses that comply with the law. Nora Smith, director of policy and research at Cancer Focus Northern Ireland and ASH NI, said the Act marks an important step in reducing smoking and nicotine addiction among children and young people, and said her organisations would work with retailers and enforcement partners to support implementation.
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