UK plans to ban use of disposable vapes soon

The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Rishi Sunak, has announced that disposable vapes will soon be banned in the UK to stop the scourge of young children consuming nicotine in this way.

Independent reports conducted by the government have shown that the number of young people using disposable vapes had more than tripled over the last three years, with 9% of the young between the ages of 11 to 15 years.

Bubble-gum and candyfloss

Tobacco companies were also accused of creating flavours that were specifically aimed at targeting young children like bubble-gum and candyfloss.

According to the UK government, flavoured disposable vapes have been a key driver behind the alarming rise in youth vaping, with the proportion of 11 to 17 year old vapers using disposables increasing almost nine fold in the last two years.  

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The government is also setting out to discourage the act of vaping altogether. It intends to implement plain packaging, restrictions on vape flavours, and guidelines regarding the display of these products in stores.

It plans to enact laws preventing the legal sale of tobacco to individuals aged 15 or younger, starting from this year and beyond.

Endemic

“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,” Sunak said.

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Less harmful

Meanwhile, in South Africa, 11.3% in urban South Africa reported having ever tried electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) and heated tobacco products.

According to the Tobacco Control Data Initiative in the country, these products are marketed as a less harmful alternative to cigarettes and have seen a rapid growth in popularity across the country.

“However, there is a growing body of evidence that smoking e-cigarettes can lead to health risks, introduce non-smoking youth to nicotine, renormalise smoking, and reverse decades of progress in tobacco control,” the organisation said.

It also noted that the use of these novel products continues to grow, particularly among South African youth as well.