With young people becoming more and more interested in vaping, certain countries such as the United Kingdom have decided to put in place strict measures in order to limit its appeal to adolescents. Adult vapers should not be concerned. Decryption.
Worrying figures on young British people and vaping
Vaping is estimated to help between 50,000 and 70,000 British smokers quit their tobacco addiction each year. However, according to a recent survey, in 2023, 20.5% of young people between 11 and 17 years old will have already used an e-cigarette. This is three times more than the last 3 years. Even if vaping helps adults wean themselves from tobacco, it is not intended for a minor audience.
This data simply flies in the face of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's agenda as he wants to create the country's first-ever smoke-free generation. Faced with this alarming figure, the British government reacted.
A public consultation is launched to limit vaping among minors
The United Kingdom has always been very supportive of vaping. However, if cigarettes cannot be sold to minors, vaping remains accessible to them. Faced with this growing enthusiasm among young people for e-cigarettes, the United Kingdom government launched a public consultation on October 12, 2023. Open for 8 weeks, the idea is to collect the opinions of various stakeholders and the general British public, in order to find ways to divert young people from vaping.
Received favorably by all stakeholders, this public consultation has already brought together several proposals. However, the Prime Minister is reassuring and insists that the proposed future measures would only concern minors.
The various proposals to fight against minors’ vaping
Firstly, there is a question of prohibiting the sale of tobacco products to minors. But the proposals do not stop there, since it is also a question of limiting the flavors so as to no longer attract children, while not disgusting adults. It is also a question of applying strict rules on point-of-sale displays and in particular of putting vaping products out of the sight of minors.
On the products themselves, proposals have been made to ensure that neither e-cigarettes nor vape products are intended for minors. The price of e-cigarettes is also being questioned to discourage young people. Finally, local authorities could have the right to impose fines to enforce legislation on the sale of vaping products.
