U.K. moves to ban disposable vapes amid rising use in kids
Global News
The U.K. will ban the sale of disposable vapes and limit the use of candy-flavored e-cigarettes to prevent children from becoming addicted to nicotine, officials said Monday.
Britain’s government will ban the sale of disposable vapes and limit their cornucopia of flavors to prevent children from becoming addicted to nicotine, officials said Monday. It also plans to stick to a contentious proposal to ban today’s young people from ever buying cigarettes.
It is currently illegal to sell vapes or tobacco to children under 18 in the U.K., but officials say that youth vaping has tripled in the past three years, and that cheap, colorful disposable vapes in flavors like bubblegum and candy floss are a “key driver.”
“You talk to any parent or teacher, they’ll talk to you about the worrying rise in vaping among children,” Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told reporters. “Children shouldn’t be vaping, we don’t want them to get addicted. We still don’t understand the full long-term health impacts of vaping. So it is right we take strong action to stamp this out.”
Disposable vapes, or e-cigarettes, are behind an alarming rise in vaping among children under 18, Sunak said, with nine per cent of 11 to 15-year-olds now using vapes, according to figures provided by the government.
The nicotine contained within them can be highly addictive, officials said. Withdrawal sometimes causes anxiety, trouble concentrating and headaches.
The government said it will introduce new powers — expected to come into effect next year — to restrict flavors that are “specifically marketed at children,” and ensure that manufacturers use plainer packaging and shops move the products out of sight of children. New fines will also be introduced for shops that sell vapes illegally to children.
Adults who wanted to use vapes as a tool to quit smoking would still be able to access vape kits, Sunak said.
Some experts say that the proposed ban needs to be carefully considered so that it doesn’t encourage people to turn to cigarettes.
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