Rishi Sunak faces Revolt over Disposable Vapes Ban

Rishi Sunak is facing backlash from other Tory members over the disposable vapes ban.

A plan to implement the ban is a bid to try and stop young people aged 11-17 from taking up vaping and reduce the impact on the environment.

It is expected to come into force at the end of 2024 or the start of 2025.

The PM has raised concerns about the popularity of vapes, which are known for their bright colours and variety of flavours.

The number of available vape flavours could be limited to just four to try and reduce the number of children using them.

There is to be a crackdown on shops selling them illegally to under-18s.

Single-use e-cigarettes can be bought cheaply and are thrown away once they run out.

Australia, France, Germany and New Zealand have all announced similar plans to ban disposable vapes.

A consultation was launched in 2023 to help identify ways to reduce the number of children using vapes in England.

Government ministers are also expected to look at vape packaging, which many say appeals to children because of the vibrant colours and graphics.

There have been suggestions that plain packaging should be used instead to make them less attractive.

Eve Peters, UK director of government affairs for Elf Bar, said the company supported the government’s wish to stop children using vapes but that it was “disappointed with the outright ban”.

Rishi Sunak said: “As any parent or teacher knows, one of the most worrying trends at the moment is the rise in vaping among children, and so we must act before it becomes endemic.

“The long-term impacts of vaping are unknown and the nicotine within them can be highly addictive, so while vaping can be a useful tool to help smokers quit, marketing vapes to children is not acceptable.

“As Prime Minister, I have an obligation to do what I think is the right thing for our country in the long term.

“That is why I am taking bold action to ban disposable vapes – which have driven the rise in youth vaping – and bring forward new powers to restrict vape flavours, introduce plain packaging and change how vapes are displayed in shops.

“Alongside our commitment to stop children who turn 15 this year or younger from ever legally being sold cigarettes, these changes will leave a lasting legacy by protecting our children’s health for the long term.”

What are Vapes?

Also known as electronic or e-cigarettes, vapes are small devices that hold a liquid containing nicotine in addition to several chemicals.

The liquid heats up and creates a vapour. This is inhaled by the user.

Vapes are seen as good replacements for adult cigarette smokers to help them stop as they don’t contain tobacco.

But the rising popularity of vaping is not just among adult smokers.

There are increasing concerns about the number of children accessing vapes.

Patterns of Use

• In 2023 20.5% of children had tried vaping, up from 15.8% in 2022 and 13.9% in 2020 before the first Covid-19 lockdown. The majority had only vaped once or twice (11.6%), while 7.6% were currently vaping (3.9% less than once a week, 3.6% more than once a week) and the remainder (1.3% in 2023) saying they no longer vape.
• The 50% growth in experimentation (trying once or twice) from 7.7% in 2022 to 11.6% in 2023 was significant, while the change in current vaping (from 6.9% to 7.6%) was not.
• Since 2021 the proportion of current vaping has been greater than that of current smoking (7.6%
  compared to 3.7% in 2023).
• The proportion of never-smokers who have tried vaping is 11.5%. However, eight out of ten children have never smoked, so this amounts to nearly half (48%) of children who have ever tried vaping.
• Most (62%) of those who have never smoked but have vaped have only tried once or twice, while most (70%) current vapers have also tried smoking.
• There is an age gradient both for ‘ever’ and ‘current’ vaping. Among 11-15 year olds 15% have ever tried vaping, compared to 34% of 16-17 year olds and 38% of 18 year olds. The figures for current use are 4.6% among those aged 11-15, 15% for 16-17 and 18% for 18-year-olds.

However, some Tory MPs have called the plans “profoundly unconservative”.

Ex-Prime Minister Liz Truss said: “While the state has a duty to protect children from harm, in a free society, adults must be able to make their own choices about their own lives.

“Banning the sale of tobacco products to anyone born in 2009 or later will create an absurd situation where adults enjoy different rights based on their birthdate.

“A Conservative government should not be seeking to extend the nanny state.”

“This will only give succour to those who wish to ban further choices of which they don’t approve.”

Another Tory MP said: “This is all redolent of the disastrous conference speech.

“I’m sure banning vapes goes down brilliantly amongst the Californian fasting community but our voters want the boats stopping and their wage packets growing.”

Ms Truss and the other Tory rebels are likely to back an amendment that would permanently raise the smoking age to 21.