Restrictions on packaging, point of sale materials and a ban on single-use vapes are being proposed as ways to tackle younger people accessing vape products.
A consultation on tobacco and vaping and how to prevent young people accessing the products has been opened following recent pledges by the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to tackle the issues.
Running as a joint consultation between the UK, Welsh, Scottish and Northern Ireland governments, it will be open for eight weeks and welcomes views from all stakeholders including members of the public.
The consultation will cover: 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 so that vape flavours are no longer targeted at children; regulation of vape point of sale displays in stores; changing vape packaging so it is not targeted at children and the potential restriction of disposable vapes from a under-age sales and sustainability point of view.
It will also look at exploring further restrictions for non-nicotine vapes and other nicotine consumer products such as nicotine pouches, increasing the price of vapes and the introduction of 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.
At the Conservative Party Conference last week, the Prime Minister outlined his plans to introduce a new law to stop children who turn 14 this year or younger from ever legally being sold cigarettes, in a bid to create the first ‘smokefree generation’.
He also highlighted the issue of vaping among children, with youth vaping tripling in the last three years and one in five children having now used a vape.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “Last week I promised to create the first smokefree generation and 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.”
A recent call for evidence on the issue of youth vaping by the government received 441 responses, with the majority (324) coming from individual respondents and 117 coming from organisations.
Respondents to this call for evidence suggested measures such as restrictions on flavours and marketing as well as stronger enforcement but also highlighted that a ban on vapes could impact on adult smokers accessing vapes to quit smoking and lead to an increase in the illicit vapes market.
This concern has been repeated by those in the industry ahead of today’s consultation launch. Trade bodies have expressed concern that banning single-use vapes could fuel the black market economy.
No comments yet