Smoke-free, heated tobacco-free and vape-free places proposed in England

A government consultation in England proposes extending smoke-free, heated tobacco-free and vape-free rules to specified indoor and outdoor settings and runs from 13 February to 8 May 2026.

A government consultation in England sets out proposals to make specified indoor and outdoor places smoke-free, heated tobacco-free and vape-free. The document links these proposals to the 10 Year Health Plan and to the Tobacco and Vapes Bill currently being considered by Parliament. The proposals aim to reduce secondhand exposure and reduce youth nicotine uptake by clarifying where tobacco, heated tobacco and vaping are permitted. The consultation paper describes options for boundaries, signage, exemptions and an implementation period. Proposals include: - The Tobacco and Vapes Bill would enable measures such as creating a smoke-free generation by making it illegal to sell tobacco to anyone born after 2008 and strengthening bans in certain public places. - Proposed outdoor smoke-free settings include public children's playgrounds and the outdoor areas of health, care and education settings, excluding private outdoor dwellings not used as workplaces. - All current indoor smoke-free places are proposed to also become heated tobacco-free and vape-free, with most existing exemptions retained; specialist tobacconists would not be exempt for heated tobacco, and specific indoor vaping exemptions are proposed for smoking cessation services and some mental health residential areas. - The consultation sets out three approaches for outdoor boundaries: the whole outdoor site plus a 10-metre perimeter, the whole site plus a 10-metre perimeter around access points only, or the whole site only, with a 10-metre rule for sites without clear boundaries. - Signage requirements are proposed for indoor and outdoor designated places, requiring at least one sign describing the rules and the distance they apply to, while allowing flexibility in design and placement. - The consultation is open for 12 weeks from 13 February 2026 and closes at 11:59pm on 8 May 2026; a proposed minimum implementation period of no less than six months is set out for sites to prepare. Summary: The proposals aim to reduce exposure to secondhand smoke, heated tobacco aerosol and vape vapour for children, pregnant people and medically vulnerable groups and to address youth vaping and nicotine addiction. Responses to the 12-week consultation will inform the next regulatory steps; subject to consultation findings and parliamentary progress on the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, regulations and an implementation timeline are planned within this Parliament.