Ministers are set to ban disposable vapes as part of a UK effort to curb vaping among young people.
The government is also trying to make vaping less attractive to children by limiting sweet and fruity flavours, introducing plain packaging and making displays less visible in shops, under newly announced powers. The changes are expected to come into effect at the end of this year or early 2025.
Announcing the move, Rishi Sunak said: “As any parent or teacher will know, one of the most worrying trends at the moment is the increase in vaping among children, which is why we must take action before it becomes endemic.”
He added: “As Prime Minister I have a duty to do what I believe is right for our country in the long term. That’s why I’m taking bold action to ban single-use vapes – which have fueled the rise of vaping among young people – and bring forward new powers to limit vape flavors, introduce plain packaging and change the way vapes are sold in stores are put on display to change.”
The move is part of a broader response to a public consultation on smoking and vaping, which has resulted in plans for some of the strictest anti-smoking measures in the world, first revealed by The Guardian, including a ban on the sale of tobacco products to anyone born on or after January 1, 2009.
While vaping can be a useful tool in helping adult smokers quit, doctors are concerned about the unknown long-term effects of vaping on the health of young people and their developing respiratory systems, as well as nicotine addiction, which can cause anxiety, difficulty concentrating, and difficulty concentrating. cause. headache during withdrawal.
Recent figures show how many children have used vapes in the past three years tripled, with 9% of 11 to 15 year olds now using vapes. The share of 11- to 17-year-old vapers using disposables has increased almost ninefold in the past two years.
The ban will also reduce the major environmental impact of single-use products, as 5 million vapes are thrown away every week, up from 1.3 million last year.
The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health welcomed the announcement, which follows the campaign launched in June to ban disposable e-cigarettes and introduce marketing restrictions.
Dr. Mike McKean, vice president for policy at the university, said: “Bold action has always been needed to curb youth vaping and banning disposables is a meaningful step in the right direction.”
He told the Guardian that the success of the changes would depend on the detail and close monitoring of their impact on the behavior of children and smokers. “I expect this will make a difference, but we don’t know the magnitude of the difference yet,” he said. “I don’t think this policy area is done and dusted; it is a policy area that we are monitoring and seeing whether adjustments and further development are needed. This is a good bill and we should support it, but pay close attention.”
Sunak’s plans to ban the sale of tobacco products to anyone born after January 1, 2009 are likely to face opposition from his own side. Rebels include former Prime Minister Liz Truss, who told the Times the measure was a “completely unconservative policy”.
Despite recent research suggesting that banning disposables could discourage e-cigarette use among people trying to quit smoking, he said it was the right policy. “There are many other ways to help adults quit smoking cigarettes, including reusable vapes. I just don’t buy this argument. I understand people’s concerns, but I would challenge them and say they are not putting children and young people first.”
The government hopes to introduce legislation that will ban single-use vapes as soon as possible by using existing environmental protection laws. The ban will also be implemented in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland through devolved legislation.
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Ministers will have to pass the Tobacco and Vaping Bill, included in the King’s Speech, to gain powers to restrict flavours, introduce plain packaging and change the way vapes are displayed in shops. The speed of its introduction will depend on other outstanding legislation and will be followed by a six-month implementation period to give retailers time to adapt.
To tackle underage sales, the Government will also impose fines on shops in England and Wales that illegally sell vapes to children, including giving trading standards officers powers to issue on-the-spot fines. Alternatives to vaping, such as nicotine pouches, will also be banned for children.
Of the 25,000 responses from parents, teachers, healthcare professionals and the public to the government’s public consultation, 70% said they were in favor of a ban on disposable vapes, although support for flavor restrictions was mixed.
Dame Rachel de Souza, the Children’s Commissioner for England, said: “When I asked children a few years ago about all aspects of their health and wellbeing, I was shocked and concerned to hear from children as young as 12 years old telling me that vaping became normalized among their peers – even on school grounds. This announcement will help address that issue and I know many children and parents will be hugely relieved.”
The UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) said that while it welcomed on-the-ground powers for enforcement officers to tackle underage sales, it was “dismayed” by the decision, which it said could discourage smokers from using vapes to stop.
A spokesperson said: “The answer to youth vaping lies not in counterproductive bans and restrictions, but rather in effective and proactive enforcement – which is woefully lacking – of the law that makes it illegal to sell vapes to minors. ”
The UKVIA is presenting a plan, based on an industry-wide consultation to MPs in February, setting out ways to make it harder for rogue traders to sell to minors.
