UK to Ban Disposable Vapes and Impose Fines Up to £2,500 for Selling to Minors
Disposable vapes will be banned in the UK as part of the government's plans to combat the growing number of vapes among young people and protect children's health. This was announced by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak during a visit to a school, the British government website reports.
In particular, new restrictions will be introduced on flavours marketed specifically for children and simpler and less attractive packaging. The way vapes are displayed in stores will also be changed: they will be removed from children's view and separated from products they like, such as sweets.
To tackle underage sales, the government will also introduce new fines for shops in England and Wales that illegally sell vapes to children. Trading standards officers will have the power to act "on the spot" to tackle the sale of tobacco and e-cigarettes to minors. This is in addition to the maximum fine of £2,500 that local authorities can already impose.
The measure is part of the government's response to its consultation on smoking and vaping, which began last October.
Recent figures show that the number of children using vapes has tripled in the last 3 years. Use among younger children is also on the rise: 9% of children aged 11 to 15 now use vapes. The long-term health effects of vaping are unknown, and the nicotine it contains can be highly addictive, with withdrawal sometimes causing anxiety, concentration problems and headaches. While vaping can help adult smokers quit, children should never use vapes.
Disposable vapes have been a key factor in the rapid growth of youth vaping, with the proportion of vapers aged 11 to 17 using disposable vapes increasing almost ninefold in the last 2 years.
As The Gaze previously reported, last year the UK planned to introduce strict anti-smoking laws. In particular, the possibility of adopting the world's toughest anti-tobacco law was considered, which would de facto prohibit future generations from buying tobacco products at all.
Earlier, France announced a ban on disposable electronic cigarettes (vapes) as part of its anti-smoking campaign. French President Emmanuel Macron has outlined ambitious plans to combat tobacco and alcohol, promising to create more smoke-free zones. France aims to be completely tobacco-free by 2030.