The U.K. wants to ban disposable vapes in an effort to reduce vaping among children, levels of which have risen sharply over the last two years.
The U.K. wants to ban disposable vapes in an effort to quash vaping among children and teenagers, rates of which have tripled in the last three years.
The proposed powers — which still need to make their way through parliament — also aim to make vaping itself less appealing to young people.
The government plans to introduce plain packaging, limits on vape flavors and rules on how the products can be displayed in stores.
Although they once made up only a small portion of the vape market, new brands and new products have seen the popularity of disposables boom in the country from 2021 onwards.
Retailers will get six months to implement changes once a formal timeline is set for the ban.
The measures build on wider plans announced last year to prevent anyone currently aged 15 or younger from ever buying tobacco products. They follow a 10-week consultation on youth smoking and vaping. Another consultation will take place on issues like vape flavors.
Announcing the ban, British Prime Ministers Rishi Sunak said in a statement: “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.
“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.
