29 January 2024
The UK Government has today (Monday, 29 January) announced plans to ban disposable vapes in order to tackle the rising number of young people taking up vaping.
Measures will also be introduced to prevent vapes being marketed at children and to target underage sales.
WithYou is a charity that runs more than 20 young people’s services across England and Scotland. It says that it has seen a significant increase in the number of young people who are vaping, often using high-strength disposable vaping products - and that the age of first use is getting younger and younger.
Robin Pollard, Head of Policy at WithYou, says: “The disposable vapes that the Government plans to ban are not a smoking cessation tool. They are being branded, flavoured, coloured and priced specifically to target younger consumers who might never have tried smoking tobacco.
“Many of the young people we support through our services tell us that they start vaping because they want to ‘experiment’, and disposable vapes make it easier to do. In addition, some young people mistakenly believe that vaping is a healthier choice than smoking cigarettes. While vaping can support people who smoke to quit, the NHS has said that vaping has not been around for long enough for its long-term risks to be known.
“We welcome this ban, which will reduce access to vaping for children and young people.”