British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is set to announce on Monday plans to ban the sale of disposable vapes to prevent children from smoking them, Reuters reports.
“I have an obligation to do what I think is the right thing for our country in the long term. That is why I am taking bold action to ban disposable vapes – which have driven the rise in youth vaping – and bring forward new powers to restrict vape flavours, introduce plain packaging and change how vapes are displayed in shops.”
Restrictions are planned to be placed on vape flavours, the requirement for plain packaging and changes to how vapes or e-cigarettes are presented to make them less appealing to children.
Alongside our commitment to stop children who turn 15 this year or younger from ever legally being sold cigarettes, these changes will leave a lasting legacy by protecting our children’s health for the long term.
According to government data, smoking is the largest preventable killer in the UK, causing one in four cancer deaths, or about 80,000 annually. In October, Sunak announced plans to introduce legislation that would mean anyone born on or after January 1, 2009, would never be able to buy tobacco.
Despite the fact that vapes are seen by some as an alternative to smoking and a way to help people quit, concerns have been raised that they may be causing nicotine addiction among young people. Today, 9 per cent of children aged 11 to 15 smoke vapes, the government reveals.
In December, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared that all flavourings for vapes should be banned as they posed a health risk.
However, industry groups and the UK Vaping Industry Association argue that vapes pose a much lower health risk than tobacco, with flavourings playing a pivotal role in encouraging smokers to switch.
The Sunak government argues that banning disposable vapes will also help the environment, as five million are thrown away every week.
