Vaping outside schools and hospitals could be banned under Government plans to crack down on e-cigarettes, according to a report.
Government sources told the Times that Health Secretary Wes Streeting was considering the move to curb youth vaping.
The ban could see vaping banned near schools, in hospital grounds and in playgrounds, the Times reports.
England’s chief medical officer Sir Chris Whitty is said to be in favour of the proposals, as well as a ban on vaping in pub gardens.
Ministers confirmed last month that the Government was considering a ban on smoking outside pubs, in restaurant terraces, near sports stadiums, pavements near universities and hospitals, and shisha bars.
Hospitality leaders said the move would cause further damage to the industry, which is already struggling to recover from disruption caused by the Covid pandemic.
Following the backlash, Mr Streeting has promised a “national conversation” before making a decision, stressing he was “not the fun police”.
The NHS says that vaping is less harmful than smoking, though it does carry a health risk.
Most vapes contain nicotine, a highly addictive substance which can impair the development of the brain during adolescence.
A new study published on Thursday found the number of people vaping in England who have never regularly smoked has increased sharply since 2021, when disposable e-cigarettes first started becoming popular.
The findings, published in Lancet Public Health, suggest that most of these people are vaping daily and over a sustained period.
This increase was largely driven by young adults, with an estimated one in seven 18 to 24-year-olds (14 per cent) who never regularly smoked now using e-cigarettes.
Despite the overall increase in people vaping since 2021, the researchers found the rise had levelled off since early 2023.
A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said: “We do not comment on leaks.
“Whilst vapes can be an effective tool to help adult smokers quit, children should never vape.
“The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will bring about definitive and positive change to stop future generations from becoming hooked on nicotine and stop vapes and other nicotine products from being deliberately branded to target children.”
