(Sleaford and North
Hykeham) (Con)
I beg to move,
That leave be given to bring in a Bill to prohibit the sale of
disposable electronic cigarettes; and for connected purposes.
E-cigarettes were billed as a health revolution—as something that
could be held like a cigarette and puffed on like a cigarette,
and would provide a nicotine hit in the same way as a cigarette,
but without containing the tar and the other carcinogenic
compounds that are known to cause cancer. In theory at least,
they were designed as a quitting aid, like nicotine gum, to wean
smokers off cigarettes, but sadly they have attracted a far wider
following. The Office for National Statistics estimates that in
2021 there were more than 4 million vapers in the UK, and the
number is likely to have risen since then.
This would, perhaps, be OK if we knew that each of those people
had formerly had a “20 a day” cigarette habit, but that is not
the case. Most worryingly, an NHS survey published last year
found that, among 15-year-old children in the UK, 18%—nearly one
in five—considered themselves to be e-cigarette users. Those who
defend vaping often focus on the relative lack of health
complications compared with smoking. On the use by children, some
have even suggested that it is better for them to be vaping than
smoking. As a doctor, those arguments concern me. E-cigarettes
are very new, and some Members of this House may recall that
there was once a time when cigarettes themselves were considered
safe. E-cigarettes contain known carcinogens, cytotoxins and
genotoxins. Studies from Harvard University and Boston University
have linked vaping to the sort of constrictive bronchitis and
cardiovascular effects similar to those experienced by cigarette
smokers.
It is hardly surprising that a recent freedom of information
request found that vaping-related hospital admissions almost
doubled last year. Of those cases, 32 were in children. I spoke
yesterday with Professor Andrew Bush, who described the adverse
health effects in children and how there have been cases of young
people requiring intensive care for severe complications from
vaping.
Then, there is the issue of nicotine. The average Elf Bar, the
most popular disposable vape sold in the UK, contains 20 mg of
this highly addictive substance—roughly equal to between 40 and
50 cigarettes. Elf Bars are available at most retailers for £5
each, though I was able to find other brands online going for
just £1.99. A recent investigation by the Daily Mail showed that
Elf Bars were being sold with e-liquid volumes more than 50% over
the legal limit. Chronic nicotine use is linked with a range of
diseases affecting the heart, blood and nervous system, as well
as impairing brain development in young people and increasing the
risk of anxiety disorders.
Public health messaging is clear: smoking is bad for you.
E-cigarette use is possibly not as bad for you, but we cannot be
certain of the long-term effects of the individual flavourings.
The best option is neither to vape nor to smoke. It is therefore
crucial that while vapes are used to encourage smokers to quit,
we protect children and young people from being lured into a
lifetime of addiction.
Vaping manufacturers often insist that their products are
intended for adults only but, at the same time, their product
design appeals to a far more impressionable audience. They come
in a range of bright, attractive colours. Some of the most
popular flavours include bubble gum, cotton candy and strawberry
ice cream. Their price and disposability makes the habit easier
to hide from parents and teachers, who are unlikely to
approve.
The slick marketing has been underlined in some cases by more
overt flouting of the rules. An investigation by the Observer
found that Elf Bar products had been promoted to children on
TikTok. Similarly, sports teams such as Blackburn Rovers and St
Helens rugby club have been sponsored by the vape retailer
Totally Wicked. This reminds one of the cigarette marketing
campaigns of the past. Like many parliamentarians, I received
information last autumn from the UK Vaping Industry Association
stating that the industry has more than 3,000 shops and an
aggregate turnover of £2.8 billion. The question one must ask is
how sustainable all those shops would be if vapes were supplied
only to former cigarette users for a temporary period while they
are quitting, and not to new teenage nicotine addicts.
Beyond the health effects of the disposable vapes is significant
environmental harm. Disposable vapes have become part of the
national embarrassment that we see everywhere, every day,
littering our streets, our parks and our rivers like confetti. A
few weeks ago, I helped local volunteers clean the River Slea and
its banks, where several were found. According to a recent study
by Material Focus, at least 1.3 million disposable vapes are
thrown away every week. That is two per second, or around 1,300
while you are listening to this speech, Madam Deputy Speaker.
What is a disposable vape made of? Essentially, plastic, some
vaping chemical, an electrical circuit and a lithium battery.
None of that is good for the environment. Lithium batteries are
particularly destructive to the environment. When single-use
vapes are disposed of incorrectly—the vast majority are—they leak
lithium into the ground when the battery case erodes, causing
soil and water pollution. Ten tonnes of lithium are sent to
landfill every year in this country as a result of disposable
vapes. Lithium is a desperately precious resource, and a vital
one in helping us transition away from the use of fossil fuels,
but instead of preserving this vital resource we are quite
literally throwing it away at enormous cost to the environment,
which it pollutes.
Many disposable vape manufacturers claim that their products are
recyclable, but the reality is that that is a very difficult
task, because the device first has to be manually deconstructed
and the components disposed of individually. One waste disposal
website advises extreme caution when doing this, because
puncturing the lithium battery during removal risks starting a
chemical fire, so safety goggles and gloves are required. Several
third-party vape sellers warn that it is not safe to disassemble
a disposable vape at home, and there are very few operations that
can recycle disposable vapes. Many studies cite the difficulty of
recycling them, and a spokesperson for the vape manufacturer Riot
admitted on BBC Radio 5 Live that only a fraction of 1% of its
products were recycled.
I know that the Government are committed to achieving a
smoke-free generation by 2030, but disposable vapes are adding
little to reusable ones in this regard. Indeed, their greatest
risk is creating a new generation of nicotine addicts. I fear
that a new national health crisis is brewing under our noses. I
am not the first person to call for restrictions on e-cigarettes.
In an open letter to the Government, a number of environmental
and health groups including the RSPCA, the Green Alliance and the
Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, of which I am a
member, called for a ban on single-use vapes. Many US states have
imposed restrictions on them, followed by China, Japan, Brazil
and most recently Australia.
The UK has often led the way when it comes to environmental
policy. Under the Conservatives, we became the first major
economy to make a net-zero commitment. Likewise, the cross-party
support for the Online Safety Bill demonstrates this House’s
commitment to the protection of young people from insidious
threats to their mental health. Let us extend those protections
to their physical health, too.
I speak as someone who cherishes our natural environment and
wants to see it free from harm and ugly pollutants. I also speak
as a mother, and I am concerned about the health of our children
and the effect on them of these products that we still know so
little about. By banning the sale of disposable vapes, we will
encourage a more sustainable way of utilising e-cigarettes as
quitting aids and make vaping less accessible to children,
preventing an epidemic of teenage nicotine addicts and protecting
our planet.
Question put and agreed to.
Ordered,
That , , , , , , , , , , and present the Bill.
accordingly presented the
Bill.
Bill read the First time; to be read a Second time on Friday 24
March, and to be printed (Bill 246).
