LONDON: “My daughters are 10 and 12, and I don’t want the way vapes are marketed, promoted and sold to be attractive to them,” UK PM Rishi Sunak said on Tuesday as he launched a crackdown to protect children from “rogue companies and online crooks” who are putting vapes into their hands.
Announcing the new set of measures aimed at curbing under-age vaping, Sunak expressed his shock at reports of illicit vapes containing lead getting into the hands of schoolchildren. Taking to Twitter, the father of schoolgirls Anoushka and Krishna said: “The marketing and the illegal sales of vapes to children is completely unacceptable.”
A loophole that allows retailers to give free samples of vapes to children in England is set to be closed under the new plans. While selling vapes to under 18s is illegal in the country, businesses have been found to be targeting children with colourful packaging of free samples. The UK government has also announced that there will be a review into banning retailers selling “nicotine-free” vapes to under-18s. The government said it will also review the rules on issuing fines.
The clamp down follows recent National Health Service (NHS) figures for 2021 showing that 9% of 11 to 15 year old children used e-cigarettes or vapes, up from 6% in 2018.
Announcing the new set of measures aimed at curbing under-age vaping, Sunak expressed his shock at reports of illicit vapes containing lead getting into the hands of schoolchildren. Taking to Twitter, the father of schoolgirls Anoushka and Krishna said: “The marketing and the illegal sales of vapes to children is completely unacceptable.”
A loophole that allows retailers to give free samples of vapes to children in England is set to be closed under the new plans. While selling vapes to under 18s is illegal in the country, businesses have been found to be targeting children with colourful packaging of free samples. The UK government has also announced that there will be a review into banning retailers selling “nicotine-free” vapes to under-18s. The government said it will also review the rules on issuing fines.
The clamp down follows recent National Health Service (NHS) figures for 2021 showing that 9% of 11 to 15 year old children used e-cigarettes or vapes, up from 6% in 2018.