Disposable vapes are set to be banned in the UK, the prime minister has confirmed.
Rishi Sunak has announced the new measures in a bid to crackdown on the rise in vaping amongst young people and children.
Alongside the ban, new laws will also restrict certain flavours of vapes - marketed specifically at children - from being sold.
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Manufacturers will also have to produce plainer and less visually appealing packaging.
The new plans will give the government the power to change how vapes are displayed in shops. This includes moving them out of sight of children and away from products like sweets.
Meanwhile, new fines will also be brought in for shops in England and Wales that sell vapes illegally to children, building on a maximum £2,500 fine that local authorities can already impose.
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“As any parent or teacher knows, one of the most worrying trends at the moment is the rise in vaping among children, and so we must act before it becomes endemic," said the prime minister.
“The long-term impacts of vaping are unknown and the nicotine within them can be highly addictive, so while vaping can be a useful tool to help smokers quit, marketing vapes to children is not acceptable.
“As Prime Minister 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.
“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”.
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The new laws come as part of the government's response to its consultation on smoking and vaping, which was launched in October.
Shocking figures show the number of children using vapes has skyrocketed recently.
Some nine per cent of 11 to 15-year-olds are now using vapes, meanwhile the proportion of 11 to 17-year-old's using disposables has increased by ninefold in the last two years.
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Vaping is particularly concerning due to the fact that the long-term health impacts are currently unknown.
However, they are highly addictive, with withdrawal sometimes causing anxiety, trouble concentrating and headaches.
Vaping alternatives – such as nicotine pouches – will also be outlawed for children.
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Commenting on the ban, health minister Andrea Leadsom said: “We are in the midst of a worrying rise in young people vaping. I want to stop youth vaping in its tracks – and a ban on disposable vapes is central to that.
“Nicotine is highly addictive – and so it is completely unacceptable that children are getting their hands on these products, many of which are undeniably designed to appeal to young people.
“Along with tougher enforcement measures, we are making sure vapes are aimed at the people they were designed to help – adults who are quitting smoking.”
Topics: News, Rishi Sunak, UK News, Vaping, Politics
Lucy Devine