Rishi to ban the sale of disposable vapes to protect children
DISPOSABLE vapes will be banned in the UK in a bid to protect children’s health and prevent them becoming ‘hooked for life’, the Government will announce today.
The number of children using vapes in the past three years has tripled, driven by disposable devices which come in a range of bright colours and tempting flavours.
Figures show 9 per cent of children aged 11 to 15 now vape, with the long-term health impacts still unknown.
But today Rishi Sunak will reveal a plan to bring in new legislation, using existing powers under the Environmental Protection Act, during a visit to a school. The measure is expected to come in early next year, with hopes it will halt the trend of vaping among children.
The Prime Minister said: ‘As any parent or teacher knows, one of the most worrying trends at the moment is the rise in vaping among children, and so we must act before it becomes endemic.
‘While vaping can be a useful tool to help smokers quit, marketing vapes to children is not acceptable.
‘As Prime Minister I have an obligation to do what I think is the right thing for our country in the long term.
‘Alongside our commitment to stop children who turn 15 this year or younger from ever legally being sold cigarettes, these changes will leave a lasting legacy by protecting our children’s health for the long term.’
In a package to crack down on sales, powers will also be introduced to restrict flavours specifically marketed at children and to ensure manufacturers produce plainer packaging. Current flavours include pink lemonade, pineapple ice, triple melon and cherry cola, which come presented in a range of bright colours.
Vapes will be required to be displayed out of sight, and new ‘on the spot’ fines will be brought in for shops which sell vapes illegally to children.
This will join the Government’s ‘smokefree generation’ plan, which will see new laws banning the sale of tobacco products to those born on or after January 1 2009 – meaning any child who turns 15 this year will never be legally sold cigarettes.
However, former PM Liz Truss said the Government ‘should not be seeking to extend the nanny state’.
She added: ‘While the state has a duty to protect children from harm, in a free society adults must be able to make their own choices about their own lives.
‘Banning the sale of tobacco products to anyone born in 2009 or later will create an absurd situation where adults enjoy different rights based on their birthdate.’
The disposable vape ban is part of the Government’s response to its consultation on smoking and vaping, which was launched in October last year.
Nearly 70 per cent of teachers, parents, healthcare professionals and the general public were supportive of the measure.
Health Secretary Victoria Atkins said: ‘The health advice is clear, vapes should only ever be used as a tool to quit smoking. But we are committed to doing more to protect our children from illicit underage vaping, and by banning disposable vapes we’re preventing children from becoming hooked for life.’
As well as benefiting children’s health, the ban will have a positive impact on the environment. Five million disposable vapes are thrown away each week, up from 1.3million last year. Over a year
‘Must act before it becomes endemic’
this is equivalent to the lithium batteries of 5,000 electric vehicles.
Deborah Arnott, chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health, said the ban would require ‘strict enforcement to be effective, as illegal vapes are already flooding the market’.
The Government was unable to commit to the timing of legislation, adding that they are trying to ‘align timing across the UK’ but that their intention is to ‘get it through in this parliamentary session’.
Commenting on the smoke- free generation plan, chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty said: ‘If passed, this legislation would have a major public health impact across many future generations.’