M
inisters should consider bringing in restrictions on the packaging and marketing of vapes similar to those that apply to tobacco products to tackle a rise in use among teenagers, a senior Tory MP has said.
Steve Brine, chair of the Health and Social Care Committee, said that “decisive action” is needed to curb a steep rise in the number of children regularly using disposable vapes.
The latest data from the Smoking, Drinking and Drug Use survey estimates that 15 per cent of children aged between 11 and 15 in London had used an e-cigarette in 2021. This amounts to around 101,000 students across the capital.
Vaping is safer than smoking and can help to ween adults off cigarettes, though it still carries a health risk.
It is illegal to sell vapes to children aged under 18, but health experts have warned that are being targeted by e-cigarette companies using colourful packaging and fruity flavours.
In a statement, the Health and Social Care Committee said that the Government could maintain a public health message on the potential value of vapes as a tool to quit smoking while also using a regulatory approach to keep them out of the reach of children.
It called on the Government to bring restrictions on packaging and marketing of vapes “in line with those that apply to tobacco products”, which are subject to regulations such as standardised packaging .
Ministers should also assess whether a proposed excise tax on disposable vapes would help to reduce vaping among children, the Committee said.
A review of resources and enforcement powers of trading standards should also be launched to prevent vapes being sold to children, they added.
Mr Brine said: “Decisive action is needed now from both Government and industry to tackle an alarming trend in the number of children vaping and to protect them from its harmful effects.
“It’s clear to us that the vaping industry has not gone far enough to ensure that its products don’t appeal to children. When you have brightly coloured and branded vapes with flavours that name unicorns, sweets and popular fizzy drinks displayed in locations ranging from newsagents to chicken shops, it’s disingenuous for the industry to claim otherwise.
“We heard a wake-up call from a headteacher who told us that hydraulic oil and antifreeze, along with other extremely concerning chemicals, were found in a vape confiscated at her school.
“Ministers need to focus, across Government, on the impact vaping is having in our schools, whether that be setting off smoke alarms in toilets or restricting access to them entirely for young people.”
Opponents of an outright ban have claimed that it would lead to the growth of a black market, while also noting that many adults use disposable vapes to quit smoking.
A study by King’s College London (KCL), published in March, found that removing eye-catching packaging was associated with a decrease in interest for teenagers without lessening the appeal of vaping to adults who smoke.
Last week, Labour pledged to ban the packaging and marketing of vapes to children.
Earlier this year, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) launched a consultation on youth vaping, which closed on June 6. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has already pledged to close a loophole that allows shops to offer free samples of vapes to children in England.
Meanwhile, data published on Wednesday by Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) showed that nearly half of Londoners (47 per cent) believe the Government is not doing enough to reduce smoking.
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