Responding to today’s announcement that disposable vapes will be
banned and further measures introduced to protect children’s
health, Committee Chair said:
“We welcome today’s announcement to ban disposable vapes and
introduce further measures on other vapes to protect children
from the risks of vaping. Our committee urged the government to
take decisive action by introducing tougher restrictions on
packaging and the marketing of vapes in line with those that
already apply to tobacco products.
“When we took evidence from the vaping industry last year it was
clear to us that the industry had not gone far enough to ensure
its products did not appeal to children. With brightly coloured
vapes and juvenile flavoursisplayed alongside sweets and popular
fizzy drinks in locations ranging from newsagents to chicken
shops, it is disingenuous for the industry to claim otherwise. We
support new powers to restrict vape flavours, introduce plain
packaging and change how vapes are displayed in shops.
“However, we also heard compelling evidence about the benefits of
vaping for existing smokers who want to quit or who want a
cheaper alternative to tobacco and it’s to be hoped that further
restrictions will not make it harder for adults who want to quit
and see vapes as a way out of smoking tobacco”.
ENDS
Further information:
- The Health and Social Care Committee urged the Government
to bring restrictions on packaging and marketing of vapes in
line with those that apply to tobacco products to tackle the
rise in use among children.
- The Committee questioned vaping industry representatives
about children’s access to vapes - view evidence session
here with transcript.
