Both chambers of the UK parliament have passed the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which will permanently ban anyone born after 1 January 2009 from ever legally purchasing cigarettes. Health minister Wes Streeting described the legislation as a "historic moment for the nation's health," with the aim of creating what the government calls the first smoke-free generation. Beyond the cigarette ban, the bill also grants authorities new powers to restrict vape flavours and packaging, extend indoor smoking bans to outdoor spaces such as playgrounds and hospital entrances, and ban vaping wherever smoking is already prohibited — measures intended to reduce long-term strain on the NHS (the UK's state-funded National Health Service), given that smoking causes roughly 75,000 deaths in England each year.