Some vapes look set to be banned in England with an announcement expected next week by Public Health Minister Neil O'Brien. The UK government is considering a ban on fruit-flavoured vapes as part of its efforts to address the increasing number of young people using the products.
Mr O'Brien is expected to call for an investigation into the issue, with a possible ban on the addictive fruity flavours that have gained popularity in recent years. It is currently illegal in the UK to sell vapes to those under 18, and there are limits on nicotine content, refill bottle and tank sizes, as well as restrictions on advertising and labelling.
Neil Mclaren, a vaping expert and co-CEO at Vaping.com said: "“Exotic and fruity flavours are used by many adults who find a flavour they like which enables them to stay on their nicotine replacement plan. The government stating that fruit-flavoured vapes and juices just target children is utter nonsense, with 79% of vapers surveyed agreeing that the enjoyment of flavours keeps them from turning back to cigarettes.
"If the government is expecting more of the 6.6m people that currently smoke in the UK to stop by 2030 as part of their Smokefree initiative, and to still promote vaping among adults as an alternative to smoking, what message are they sending by suggesting the only flavour that can help them do so is tobacco - the same flavour that they’re trying to get away from that will drive vapers back to smoking traditional cigarettes.
"This kind of government action, as we have seen with countless bans throughout history, only increases the black market in illicit and illegal products being manufactured to meet the unmet demand, which is a huge risk and somewhere none of us want to be.
"The government should instead be looking to make it illegal to sell vapes without a licence and enforce meaningful fines on shops caught selling products to anyone underage (much the same as alcohol), instead of punishing adults trying to stop smoking.”
Research published last July showed that the proportion of children vaping is on the rise, with social media sites such as TikTok having an influence.
Disposable e-cigarettes are also increasing in popularity due to their low cost and variety of colours and flavours. While it is illegal to sell to young people, teenagers discuss flavours such as pink lemonade, strawberry banana and mango on social media.
A recent study suggested plain packaging for vapes could reduce their appeal to children, though adults were not influenced in the same way. In 2022, the proportion of UK children aged 11 to 17 currently vaping was 7%, up from 4% in 2020.
Subscribe here for the latest news where you live
Labour shadow environment minister Ruth Jones says research shows that two vapes are thrown away every second, adding “this is unsustainable and it does require action from ministers”.
Environment minister Rebecca Pow said she shared concerns around the environmental damage and lithium used, and acknowledged “a significant amount of the disposable vapes that are thrown away each week are not being recycled properly and are instead being littered”.
But she told MPs: “It may be the case that we need to continue to strive to ensure compliance with existing environmental obligations before jumping on to an outright ban or anything as dramatic as that.”
“We need to work constructively with the sector to assist the businesses to understand the obligations and bring them into compliance,” she added, saying the Government was taking steps to address the issue.
Ministers in Scotland look set to ban disposable vapes. Green MSP Gillian Mackay said: “As well as being an issue for public health, they are an issue for the environment
“Would the Cabinet Secretary support a ban on single-use vapes?”
Now First Minister Hamza said Public Health Scotland is examining the impact of vaping, with an action plan due in autumn this year.
