The Prime Minister has set out plans to build a better and brighter future for children.
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ค๐๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ฌ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ'๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ง๐ง๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐?
On 28 January, we announced plans to go further to tackle youth vaping by banning disposable vapes.
To reduce the appeal of vapes to children, we also announced that new powers will be introduced to restrict vape flavours and packaging. The powers will also allow government to change how vapes are displayed in shops.
To crack down on underage sales, the government will also bring in quicker and simpler ยฃ100 fixed penalty fines for shops in England and Wales which sell vapes illegally to children. Trading standards officers will be empowered to act โon the spotโ to tackle underage tobacco and vape sales. This builds on a maximum ยฃ2,500 fine that local authorities can already impose.
Vaping alternatives - such as nicotine pouches - will also be outlawed for children who are increasingly turning to these highly addictive substitutes.
๐๐๐๐๐๐
๐๐ก๐ฒ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ฏ๐๐ฉ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ง ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐?
Being cheap and easy to use, disposable vapes are also the vape of choice for children with 69% of current vapers aged 11 to 17 in Great Britain using disposable vapes (up from 7.7% in 2021).
There are serious environmental concerns over disposable vapes. Over 5 million disposable vapes are either littered or thrown away in general waste every week. This has quadrupled in the last year.
That is why we the UK Government, the Scottish Government and the Welsh Government intend to introduce legislation to implement a ban on the sale and supply of disposable vapes. The UK Government will also work with the devolved administrations to explore an import ban.
๐๐ก๐๐ง ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ฏ๐๐ฉ๐ ๐๐๐ง ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐จ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ญ?
England, Scotland and Wales intend to bring in legislation as soon as possible. Any legislation taken forward will allow for an implementation period of at least six months, which takes into consideration concerns that businesses will require time to adapt.
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ฉ๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐๐ค๐๐ง ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐๐๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐จ๐ญ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฅ ๐๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ค ๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐ค๐๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ฏ๐๐ฉ๐๐ฌ?
We will support retailers to implement the new requirements by increasing funding for enforcement โ government has announced ยฃ30 million extra funding per year for enforcement agencies including HMRC, Trading Standards and Border Force, to tackle the illicit market and underage sales.
๐๐ก๐จ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ ๐จ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ง๐๐จ๐ซ๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐๐ง?
Trading Standards will lead on enforcing the ban within their local area.
It is expected that enforcement authorities would apply civil sanctions in the first instance and a failure to comply may result in authorities prosecuting for a criminal offence subject to a fine only after a failure to comply with a civil sanction.
๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ ๐๐๐ง ๐จ๐ง ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ฏ๐๐ฉ๐๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ง ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ฆ๐จ๐ค๐ข๐ง๐ ?
No. Adults who vape responsibly will be able to continue to do so.
We are not banning vapes as a whole, just disposable vapes โ given the huge impact they have on the environment. Banning disposables will also prevent young people from accessing them.
Adult vapers will still be able to access refillable and reusable vapes.
We recognise the important part vapes can play in helping people quit smoking. As part of the governmentโs Swap to Stop scheme, almost one in five of all adult smokers in England will have access to a reusable vape kit alongside behavioural support to help them quit the habit and improve health outcomes.
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ซ๐๐ง ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฏ๐๐ฉ๐๐ฌ?
Children should never vape. The number of children using vapes has tripled in the last three years, and the bulk of that increase has been driven by disposables. The evidence is clear that vapes should not be used by, or targeted at, kids โ due to the risk and unknown harms involved. That is why the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health has said disposable vapes should be banned.
The active ingredient in most vapes is nicotine, which when inhaled, is a highly addictive drug. The addictive nature of nicotine means that a user can become dependent on vapes, especially if they use them regularly.
We have a duty to protect children from these potential harms, which is why we will be banning disposable vapes and bringing forward measures in the Bill to restrict vape flavours, displays and packaging. Reusable and refillable vapes will continue to play a valuable role in helping adults to stop smoking.
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ฏ๐๐ฉ๐ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐ฒ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง ๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐ฉ๐ฌ, ๐ฉ๐๐๐ค๐๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฏ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฌ?
Vapes have become highly appealing products for children because of the wide range of flavours, bright colours, use of cartoons and highly visible points of display in shops. Our new legislation will introduce powers to regulate the display of vapes, packaging and flavours.
The purpose of addressing these issues is to prevent the marketing of vaping to children.
Before using these powers, we will be undertaking a further consultation on the specific measures.
๐๐ก๐๐ง ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐จ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐๐?
On the disposable vapes ban โ the date from which it applies will be set out in a statutory instrument (under powers conferred through the Environmental Protections Act) which we will bring forward as soon as possible this year, with the legislation coming into effect soon after.
Separately, new powers on flavours, placement and packaging will be contained within a new legislation. Government will then consult on how these new powers are applied through regulation.
