UK bans nicotine-free vape sales to under-18s from October 29

From Thursday, October 29, 2026, it will be illegal in the UK to sell nicotine-free vapes and nicotine pouches to anyone under 18, as the next set of rules under the Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026 comes into force. The same date brings a ban on vending machines for vaping and nicotine products, a ban on free promotional giveaways, and a new offence of buying these products on behalf of someone under 18. Retail and trade coverage this week has set out what changes for shops and buyers, based on guidance the Department of Health and Social Care published on August 11, 2026.

Until now, the UK age limit applied to vapes that contain nicotine. A product sold as nicotine-free fell outside that limit. From October 29, the age rule follows the product, not its ingredients: if it is a vape or a nicotine product, the buyer must be 18 or over.

The proxy-purchase offence targets another common route. Under the new rules, the adult who makes that purchase breaks the law. The Local Government Association says the new £200 fixed penalty regime replaces the older £90 notices that were used for proxy purchasing, and that fines for some breaches in England and Wales can go up to £2,500.

The ban on giveaways and deep discounts is aimed at marketing. Shops may still run normal sales and bulk offers, but they may not give products away or cut prices sharply to promote them. The Local Government Association notes that machines kept behind a counter or used only by staff are allowed, and that vape machines may remain in adult mental health inpatient settings in England and Wales.

These rules arrive on top of a new tax. A Vaping Products Duty started on October 1, 2026, at £2.20 for every 10 ml of e-liquid, whether or not it contains nicotine, according to trade coverage of the change. Further steps are planned: restrictions on vape advertising and sponsorship from June 1, 2027, while proposals on plain packaging and limits on flavour names are still under consultation and are not yet law.

Short-term: Shops have nine days to update their age checks so they cover every vape, including nicotine-free ones, and nicotine pouches. Retailers that run vending machines for these products must remove them, and stores must end any free sample or giveaway promotions. Trading Standards teams gain a quicker way to act, through on-the-spot fixed penalties, instead of taking every case to court.

Long-term: Together with the smoke-free generation rule from January 2027 and the planned advertising limits in 2027, the changes are designed to make vaping and nicotine products harder for young people to reach and less visible to them. Whether they cut teenage vaping will depend on how strictly councils enforce them, and on whether illegal sellers fill the gap.

Who is affected: Teenagers in the UK; parents and older siblings, who can now be fined for buying vapes for them; shopkeepers and convenience stores; and Trading Standards officers, who enforce the rules.

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