MORE than one million illicit vapes were seized by Trading Standards last year as MPs prepare to vote on a massive industry crackdown today.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting warned last night that an entire generation of kids will suffer “a life imprisoned by addiction” unless MPs approve landmark smoking restrictions.
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will prevent anyone born after January 2009 from ever being able to legally buy fags. The legislation aims to stop children vaping by banning bright packaging and flavours like bubble gum, gummy bear, and cotton candy designed to lure youngsters. Additionally, vapes will not be sold in vending machines or handed out for free, and advertising will be banned.
Figures released today by the Trading Standards Institute showed officers confiscated 1.19 million dodgy e-cigarettes from sellers in 2023/24. Most contained illegally high concentrations of nicotine, which can cause heart palpitations, dizziness, vomiting, and breathing difficulties. Research and patients’ horror stories increasingly suggest vaping damages the lungs, heart, and blood vessels.
Operation Joseph, in conjunction with the government and medical regulator, also caught shopkeepers willing to sell vapes to under-18s in one in every four mystery shopper tests. Under new potential restrictions, suppliers caught selling vapes to minors could face harsher penalties.
Wes Streeting said: “The number of children vaping is growing at an alarming rate and without urgent intervention, we’re going to have a generation of children with long-term addiction. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill provides the protection that children and young people need to avoid a life imprisoned by addiction. That’s why it’s so incredibly important it is voted through.”
Lord Michael Bichard, chair of National Trading Standards, said: “The reality is that further action is necessary to remove more illegal and, in many cases, dangerous products from sale.”
The Bill was originally proposed by Rishi Sunak and was backed by Labour, charities, and doctors, with opposition from staunch conservatives. Tory leader Kemi Badenoch will vote against the Bill, as she did when the issue first came to Parliament.
A recent Yonder poll for smoking campaign group Forest found 60 per cent of respondents said 18-year-olds should be allowed to buy cigarettes if they can vote and buy booze. Director Simon Clark said: “A generational ban on the sale of tobacco is unnecessarily divisive because it will create a two-tier society in which some adults have different rights to others.”
Conclusion:
The proposed Tobacco and Vapes Bill aims to protect children and young people from the dangers of vaping by introducing stricter regulations and restrictions on the industry. The government and medical regulator are working together to remove illegal and dangerous products from sale and to educate the public about the risks associated with vaping.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: What is the purpose of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill?
A: The bill aims to prevent children and young people from vaping by introducing stricter regulations and restrictions on the industry.
Q: What are the proposed restrictions on vaping products?
A: The bill proposes banning bright packaging and flavours designed to lure youngsters, prohibiting vapes from being sold in vending machines or handed out for free, and banning advertising.
Q: What are the penalties for suppliers caught selling vapes to minors?
A: Under new potential restrictions, suppliers caught selling vapes to minors could face harsher penalties.
Q: How does the government plan to enforce the proposed restrictions?
A: The government and medical regulator will work together to remove illegal and dangerous products from sale and to educate the public about the risks associated with vaping.
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