The British Medical Association is urging Ministers to introduce legislation to curb the “epidemic” of vaping in the UK, saying the devices should only be sold from “behind the counter”, like cigarettes, and not be on display in shops, among other measures.
In a report published this week, the doctors’ union called on Ministers to introduce legislation to tackle the “growing epidemic” of vaping in the UK.
Recent analysis by Action on Smoking and Health (Ash) found that 5.6m British adults now vape – about 11% of the adult population. Vape use among children and young people has increased almost six-fold in the past decade, with 7.6% of 11-17-year-olds now vaping, either regularly or occasionally, compared with 1.3% in 2014.
The BMA said given the rising number of children and young people trying and smoking vapes, the government “must not shy away from taking brave action”, reports The Guardian.
Professor David Strain, chair of the BMA’s board of science, said: “I understand the role vapes can play in helping people to stop smoking, but they have no rightful place in our children and young people’s lives and when it comes to protecting their health, we cannot afford to gamble.
“An industry so obviously targeting children with colours, flavours and branding, to push a product that can lead to nicotine addiction and potential further harms cannot be allowed any longer.”
The report is the first comprehensive paper laying out BMA’s policy on vaping since 2017 and the first time it has explicitly called for restrictions on all forms of advertising and marketing of e-cigarettes.
It follows a 2023 conference resolution for the BMA to review the dangers of vaping. The new report, titled Taking our breath away: why we need stronger regulation of vapes, wants more to be done to restrict advertising of (vapes) and reduce their visibility, so children and young people are not encouraged to use them.
“Removing the visibility of vapes in shops will help to reduce exposure and awareness of the product, and in turn, their use,” suggests the report, which also recommends a ban on the sale of disposable vapes and the use of any non-tobacco vape flavours.
Vapes should only be sold in plain packaging, with any imagery, colouring and branding for both the packaging and vape device prohibited, as with cigarettes.
Responding to the report, Deborah Arnott, chief executive of Ash, said: “For tougher regulations … the tobacco and vapes Bill must be fast tracked on to the statute book.
“We support strict regulation of the display and promotion of vapes and prohibiting use of sweet names, bright colours and cartoon imagery. However, vapes are a highly effective quitting aid for smokers, and it is important that they continue to be so.”
A Department of Health & Social Care spokesperson said: “The marketing of vapes to children and young people is utterly unacceptable. Vapes can be an effective way for adult smokers to quit, but we have always been clear that children and adult non-smokers should never vape.
“The tobacco and vapes Bill will stop vapes from being branded and advertised to appeal to children – by regulating flavours, packaging and changing how and where they are displayed.”
John Dunne, director-general of vaping trade body, the UKVIA, said: “Stronger measures are needed to cut off the supply of youth vaping and illicit products, but the proposals in this report would supercharge the black market, deter adult smokers from making the switch and drive current vapers into the hands of underground sellers or back to cigarettes.”
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