The government has launched a public consultation on youth vaping in an attempt to clamp down on the promotion of e-cigarettes to children.
People of all ages are being asked to take part in the consultation, which seeks views on plans to tackle youth vaping. These include reducing the appeal, affordability and availability of vapes to young people.
The consultation launched today and is open to anyone in the UK, of any age. It includes proposals to restrict child-friendly flavours and bright coloured packaging. People have eight weeks to share their experiences and opinions.
Sunak recently announced that he is considering anti-smoking measures that would effectively ban the next generation from buying cigarettes.
Proposals being consulted on include:
- Making it an offence for anyone born on or after 1 January 2009 to be sold tobacco products
- Restricting the flavours and descriptions of vapes
- Regulating point of sale displays in retail outlets so that vapes are kept out of sight from children
- Regulating vape packaging and product presentation, ensuring that neither the device nor its packaging is targeted to children
- Considering restricting the sale of disposable vapes
- Explore further restrictions for non-nicotine vapes and other nicotine consumer products, such as nicotine pouches
- Explore if the price of vapes will reduce the number of young people using them
- Introducing new powers for local authorities to issue on-the-spot fines (Fixed Penalty Notices) to enforce age of sale legislation of tobacco products and vapes.
This comes as a 12-year-old girl told the BBC that children should not start vaping after she was rushed to hospital with a collapsed lung.
Although she is now recovering, she spent four days in an induced coma to help her stabilise and has been left with permanent damage to her lungs.
Surge in vaping
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: ‘Last week I promised to create the first smoke-free generation. I am wasting no time to deliver on that promise.
‘Our ambitious plans will reverse the worrying rise in youth vaping while protecting our children from the dangerous long-term effects of smoking as quickly as possible.’
Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said: ‘There has been a surge in vaping amongst children, which is why we’re taking action to reduce the appeal and availability of vapes. Vapes should never be used by children and we’re committed to reversing this trend.
‘We also need to take bold action to protect future generations from the harms of smoking addiction, which damages health at every stage of life and costs the economy billions.’
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