Ban marketing vapes to children - senior Labour MP

Banning the marketing of vapes with brightly coloured packaging and branding would protect children from addiction, a senior Labour MP says.

Helen Hayes, the shadow minister for children, has proposed a new law aimed at driving down the number of young people vaping.

The legal age to purchase and use a vape, is 18 years old.

The government is considering issuing fines to shops selling vapes to under 18s illegally.

E-cigarettes are known by many different names and many contain nicotine, a highly addictive substance found in tobacco cigarettes. They are sometimes called vapes, e-cigs, e-hookahs, mods and vape pens.

The vape industry insists it does not market its products to children and that they are meant to be a safer option for adult cigarette smokers.

But Ms Hayes told MPs some products are clearly aimed at children and banning them would have a direct impact on the "very alarming" amount of young people taking up the habit.

Vape shops stock products that imitate well-known brands, such as Len & Jenny's mint Oreo cookie or are named after sweets such as gummy bears, Skittles and Tutti Frutti, said Ms Hayes, as well as products with cartoon designs.

Without action "we can expect a pipeline of young people becoming addicted to vaping, which may stay with some of them for the rest of their lives", she warned.

The ban on cigarette advertising, branding and shop displays has dramatically reduced tobacco sales and smoking rates among children.

Arguing for similar restrictions on vapes, Ms Hayes said it was not necessary to use brightly-coloured branding to market a smoking cessation product.

And although vapes were far less harmful than cigarettes, she told MPs they were not "harmless", with 40 children admitted to hospital last year with suspected vaping-related disorders.

Dr. Caroline Johnson, Tory MP for Sleaford and North Hykeham, warned that a vaping related "new national health crisis is brewing under our noses".

This means it is unlikely to become law without government support, but as a newly-promoted member of Sir Keir's Starmer's ministerial team, Ms Hayes may choose to push for legislation if Labour wins the next election.

One in five children (11-17 year olds) have tried vaping, figures from the 2023 Action on Smoking and Health survey of young vapers in England, Scotland and Wales suggest.

Prof John Britton, honorary professor at the University of Nottingham, who previously advised the government on its plan to end smoking, said: "It's inconceivable to say that vaping is safe, it is a balance of risks.

"If you don't use nicotine in any shape or form, it is madness to start vaping."

Prof Britton anticipates that in 40 or 50 years' time, we will start to see people developing lung cancer, chronic bronchitis and other serious lung conditions as a result of their vaping.

The Department of Health and Social Care have said they have regulations in place to discourage underage vaping such as restricting sales of vapes to over 18s only, limiting nicotine content, refill bottle and tank sizes and through advertising restrictions.

Prime minister Rishi Sunak said earlier this year that he is "deeply concerned" about the rise in kids vaping and is "shocked" by reports of vapes containing lead getting into the hands of school children.

The prime minister also announced that he will close a loophole which allows the vaping industry to give free samples of vapes to children in England.

The government is developing a new resource pack for schools on vaping which will be made available by July and the health risks of vaping will be also included in drug and alcohol education lessons.