The UK Parliament has approved a landmark bill that will ban anyone born after December 31, 2008 from ever legally buying cigarettes on Tuesday.

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill, waiting for formal approval from King Charles III, will raise the legal age for purchasing tobacco by one year every year, effectively imposing a lifetime ban on younger generations.

The bill will tighten regulations on vaping, including restrictions on sales to minors, advertising, product displays and discounting. 

It will also grant ministers powers to regulate flavors and packaging of nicotine products, building on earlier measures such as a ban on disposable e-cigarettes.

UK Health Secretary Wes Streeting called the bill's passage a "historic moment" for the nation's health, saying it would protect children from a lifetime of addiction and harm.

Smoking remains the leading preventable cause of death, disability and poor health, responsible for roughly 80,000 deaths each year in the UK, authorities say.