Ministers are to promise a crackdown on the illegal sale of e-cigarettes to under 18s as they consider stricter rules to tackle underage vaping.
An “illicit vapes enforcement squad”, led by Trading Standards and backed by £3m in funding, will be set up to conduct test purchases and remove banned products from shops and at borders.
The government will also launch a call for evidence to “identify opportunities to reduce the number of children accessing and using vapes”, according to plans expected to be unveiled this week.
The measures come amid rising concern over youth vaping in Britain, with the latest survey by Action on Smoking and Health (Ash) showing a rise in recent years. In 2022, 7% of 11- to 17-year-olds surveyed said they used vapes, compared with 3.3% in 2021.
The plan to tackle illegal sales to children has been welcomed by vape manufacturers. The UK Vaping Industry Association had been calling for increased action on “rogue resellers” and said the targeted action due to be announced by the government would help cut the supply of e-cigarettes to minors. Recent raids have found shops across the country selling illegal vapes, including those containing illegal nicotine levels, and failing to conduct proper age checks.
However health experts warned the measures would do little to stop underage vaping and said action was needed to make e-cigarettes less appealing to children in the first place.
Dr Mike McKean, the vice-president for policy at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said: “We’re relieved that the UK government has started to focus on the rising levels of children and young people picking up e-cigarettes, but an enforcement squad is just the tip of the iceberg.”
He said vapes were often “affordable, appealing and clearly very accessible for children”, and called for action on the “bright packaging, exotic flavours and enticing names” used in many products. “Tighter restrictions on advertising of vaping products are also needed to ensure these products are only advertised as a smoking reduction aid rather than a fun and colourful lifestyle product,” he said.
The Department of Health and Social Care said its call for evidence would look at ways of cutting underage vaping while “ensuring they remain available as a quit aid for adult smokers”. It is expected to explore issues such as the marketing and promotion of vapes. Vape manufacturers argue that features such as fruity flavours can help adults quit smoking.
Last year, the Observer revealed how influencers were flouting advertising rules to promote popular Elf Bar vapes to young people on TikTok. E-cigarette companies have also run campaigns across buses and billboards.
Health minister Neil O’Brien said the government was “concerned about the rise in youth vaping, particularly the increasing use of disposable vaping products”, and that the measures were designed to “clamp down” on those businesses that were “getting children hooked on nicotine”. “Our call for evidence will also allow us to get a firm understanding of the steps we can take to reduce the number of children accessing and using vapes,” he added.
Deborah Arnott, chief executive of Ash, said the charity welcomed the government announcement but that more action was needed to “tackle the scourge of youth vaping”. She said: “The call for evidence is all well and good, but we already know the problems that need addressing, and how to address them. Cheap disposable vapes need to be taxed so they can no longer be bought for pocket money prices. And the government needs to regulate to limit where these products can be sold, and prohibit brightly coloured packaging with cartoon characters and names like ‘gummy bears’. There’s no time for delay.”
