https://farsalinos.github.io/en/tags/penalties/Recent content in Penalties on FarsalinosHugo -- gohugo.ioen© 2026 K. Farsalinos, MD, MPH, PhD | Science & Public HealthThu, 10 Sep 2026 21:18:58 +0300https://farsalinos.github.io/en/news/ukrules-vaping-en/Fri, 28 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://farsalinos.github.io/en/news/ukrules-vaping-en/<p>The UK government has published new guidance setting out a significant overhaul of the rules governing the sale of vaping and nicotine products across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The changes, issued by the Department of Health and Social Care, take effect on <strong>29 October 2026</strong> and mark one of the most sweeping updates to nicotine retail law in the UK to date.</p> <h2 class="relative group">A single, UK-wide age of sale <div id="a-single-uk-wide-age-of-sale" class="anchor"></div> <span class="absolute top-0 w-6 transition-opacity opacity-0 -start-6 not-prose group-hover:opacity-100 select-none"> <a class="text-primary-300 dark:text-neutral-700 !no-underline" href="#a-single-uk-wide-age-of-sale" aria-label="Anchor">#</a> </span> </h2> <p>The headline change is a unified minimum age of sale of 18 for <em>all</em> vaping and nicotine products, closing gaps that previously existed between nations and product types. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, age restrictions had only applied to nicotine-containing vapes; from October, they will extend to non-nicotine vapes as well. Scotland already restricted both nicotine and non-nicotine vapes, but will now also bring nicotine products more broadly into scope — including nicotine pouches, nicotine strips and nicotine pearls, along with synthetic nicotine.</p>