It is illegal to sell vapes to people aged under 18, but the number of children trying them is on the rise (Picture: PA)
Ministers are considering reducing the range of vape flavours available and banning disposable vapes altogether in an effort to lessen their popularity with children.
A consultation document setting out the government’s plans for tackling the ways in which young people are targeted will be published this morning.
Earlier this year, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he was worried his own daughters could be targeted by the vaping industry.
The products are often sold in bright packaging, sometimes featuring cartoon characters, and are available in flavours such as candy floss, bubblegum and muffin.
The consultation will ask charities, individuals, groups and industry if this child-friendly branding could be toned back, among other suggestions such as regulating whether vapes are on display and increasing their price.
Data published in May this year showed a 50% rise in the last year in the proportion of children trying vaping.
The following month, Sky News reported that 15 children aged nine and under had been admitted to hospital in England due to excessive vaping in the year to April.
Children’s commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza has called for cheap disposable e-cigarettes to be banned to stop young people from taking up the habit.
E-cigarettes are often sold in bright packaging and feature sweet flavours (Picture: Vuk Valcic/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock)
It is illegal to sell vapes to people aged under 18, but the number of shops selling vapes to children as young as 12 is on the rise.
Health Secretary Steve Barclay said: ‘There has been a surge in vaping amongst children, which is why we’re taking action to reduce the appeal and availability of vapes.
‘Vapes should never be used by children and we’re committed to reversing this trend.
‘We also need to take bold action to protect future generations from the harms of smoking addiction, which damages health at every stage of life and costs the economy billions.’
Sarah Woolnough, chief executive at Asthma + Lung UK, said: “If you’re a smoker and you want to quit tobacco, vaping can be a helpful way to give up smoking. But for children and those who don’t smoke, starting to vape isn’t a good idea, especially if you have a lung condition.”
She called for restrictions on the marketing of vapes and on flavours, and for an end to the products being sold at ‘pocket-money prices’.
Last week, the PM announced plans to stop children aged 14 and younger from ever being legally sold cigarettes, using an age limit that rises each year.
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Data published in May showed a 50% rise in the number of children trying vaping in the last year.