A new law in the United Kingdom banning the sale of tobacco products to future generations has been hailed as a landmark moment in the fight against nicotine addiction. The ban by birth date has given heart to anti-smoking campaigners in Canada, who see it as the ultimate goal — and a plausible one — in making the country nicotine-free. The U.K. tobacco and vapes bill , proposed almost 18 months ago, is set to receive royal assent this week and will come into effect on Jan. 1, 2027. The so-called generational smoking ban outlaws the sale of tobacco products in the country to anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 2009. Ministers there say the law will create the U.K.'s first "smoke-free generation," preventing young people now and in the future from becoming addicted to nicotine, and easing long-term pressure on the National Health Service. U.K. lawmakers approve lifetime smoking ban for anyone born after 2008 The U.K.…