The Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which cleared Parliament last month, aims to create a smoke-free generation in the UK by banning the sale of cigarettes to anyone born after January 2009.
Guernsey does not have an equivalent legislation currently in development, but the director of Public Health, Nicola Brink, has said that a paper will soon be taken to Health & Social Care for further political direction on similar restrictions.
Islanders already showed strong support for a similar, age-related smoking ban, during a public survey last year, she said.
And the Health & Social Care Committee is already under a States resolution to look at a similar approach to raise the legal age for buying tobacco products.
Smoking continues to cause approximately 10% of deaths among islanders aged 35 and older.
‘We were really pleased to see the progress of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill in the UK,’ said Dr Brink.
‘Guernsey has a long history of leadership on tobacco control, and we’re now aiming to reach smoke‑free status – defined as a smoking prevalence of less than 5%. An age-related smoking ban is all about protecting children, reducing inequality, and preventing disease and death – data from the tobacco consultation done by the Health Improvement Commission in 2025 supports local action based on local views. The findings included notable support for raising the age at which it is legal to sell someone tobacco, with 64% supporting raising the age of sale each year.’
Smoking in Guernsey and Alderney has decreased from 29% prevalence in the 1970s, to 9.1% in 2023.
Dr Brink said that this met the local target of dropping below 10% three years early, and was at least partly due to a series of island-wide tobacco control policies, including smoke-free travel, a ban on advertising, and a ban of smoking inside in public places.
‘Smoking is clearly impacting on the health and wellbeing of islanders,’ she said. ‘It is more prevalent among certain groups, with 20% of people living in affordable housing smoking, which drives health and social inequalities. Additionally, being exposed to second-hand smoke poses significant health risks to everyone. Smokers often find it difficult to stop smoking and spend years battling their addiction.’
An HIC spokesman said that the commission would support the introduction of local laws similar to the UK Bill.
‘Phased, sensible tobacco control measures are seen as fair, preventative, and focused on protecting future generations, rather than penalising people who already smoke,’ he said.