The UK Government has sought views on Australia’s plans to enforce stricter laws on the vape category, as part of its efforts to reduce underage sales.
At a Parliamentary session of the Health and Social Care Committee covering the issues facing the NHS and social care, Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay discussed work being done to tackle underage vape sales.
When asked what was being done to curb underage usage of vape products, Barclay outlined the recent measures announced by the government, including the ban of free samples to minors, and that he had consulted on measures currently being planned in Australia.
“We are very live to the ongoing issues around single-use disposable vapes, the amount of nicotine content that is allowed, on minimum quality standards in terms of flavours, how they are packaged and so on. In fact, I had a meeting with a leading Australian figure this morning on some of the lessons around the vaping industry in Australia, how we can look at what is being done there and whether there are any lessons that we can share with each other.”
The Australian Government is currently looking to outlaw the importation of non-prescription vapes; ban all disposable vapes; introduce plain packaging for vape products; restrict flavours, colours, and reduce the amount and concentration of nicotine allowed in vapes.
In response to the government following Australia’s plans for vape legislation, the Institute of Economic Affairs, a think tank, said it would be a bad idea.
Head of lifestyle economics Christopher Snowdon said: “The only thing Britain can learn about vaping from Australia is what not to do. Its policy of prohibition has given it the worst of both worlds. It has a massive black market for e-cigarettes and tobacco. It is the only developed country where teenagers’ smoking and vaping rates are rising. Australians are now in the process of trying to ban e-cigarettes for a third time.
“The UK has fairly sensible laws on e-cigarettes. We just need to enforce them. Australia has stupid laws and should be ignored, except as a cautionary tale.”
The session also covered how vape products are marketed to children. “The change from a stop-smoking device to becoming a lifestyle product in terms of its marketing and the change to all these colours and flavours like unicorn milkshake that cannot possibly be designed for an adult, middle-aged smoker to quit— because clearly they are not—is of huge concern to me,” said Dr Caroline Johnson MP.
In response, Barclay added: “It is an area where the data is evolving and people are learning more about the risks specific to vaping. What is coming through in the debate is particularly the concern about the uptake of vaping among children and the way that products are being marketed in a way that particularly looks like it is targeted at children. It is something that the Prime Minister gave a speech on a few weeks ago, making some changes, but we are also open to looking at more, and we are working through that.”
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