The legislative changes for vaping in the United Kingdom

With young people taking an increasing interest in vaping, some countries, the United Kingdom among them, have decided to bring in strict measures to make these products less appealing to teenagers. Adult vapers should not be affected. Here is a closer look.

Worrying figures on young Britons and vaping

According to the estimates put forward in the British debate, vaping is credited with helping between 50,000 and 70,000 British smokers a year to break their dependence on tobacco. Yet a recent survey found that in 2023, 20.5% of young people aged 11 to 17 had already used an e-cigarette, three times more than over the previous three years. Whatever the authorities say about adults, vaping is not intended for anyone under age.

These figures run counter to the programme of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who wants to create the country’s first smoke-free generation. Faced with such an alarming number, the British government has responded.

A public consultation to curb vaping among minors

The United Kingdom has always taken a favourable view of vaping. Cigarettes cannot be sold to minors, yet vaping products remain within their reach. Faced with growing enthusiasm for the e-cigarette among the young, the British government launched a public consultation on 12 October 2023. Open for eight weeks, it was designed to gather the views of a range of stakeholders and of the British public, in order to find ways of steering young people away from vaping.

Well received by all the parties involved, the consultation has already produced a number of proposals. The Prime Minister has been reassuring, insisting that any future measures would concern minors only.

The various proposals to tackle vaping among minors

First on the list is a ban on selling tobacco products to minors. The proposals go further than that, however, since there is also talk of restricting flavours so as to stop attracting children without putting adults off. Strict rules on retail displays are also under consideration, in particular keeping vaping products out of sight of minors.

On the products themselves, proposals have been made to ensure that neither e-cigarettes nor vaping products are aimed at minors. The price of vaping devices is also under discussion as a way of discouraging young people. Finally, local authorities could be given the power to issue fines to enforce the rules on the sale of vaping products.