The Prime Minister has set out plans to build a better and brighter future for our children. This includes the introduction of a new law to stop children who turn 14 this year or younger from ever legally being sold cigarettes and a further crackdown on youth vaping.
We are now consulting on measures to tackle youth vaping by reducing the appeal, availability and affordability of vapes to our children. Views on these proposals are now being sought from everyone, including the public, the retail sector, clinicians and medical professionals, local authorities, public health stakeholders, academic experts, employers and trade unions.
The full consultation can be viewed here.
Here's what you need to know.
What are the key measures you've announced?
Firstly, we will create the first smoke-free generation so children aged 14 or younger this year will never be legally sold cigarettes. The age of sale will be raised by one year each year
to prevent future generations from ever taking up smoking, as there is no safe age to smoke.
Second, to ensure we get the balance right between protecting our children and supporting adult smokers to quit the government will bring forward a consultation to look at:
- Restricting the flavours and descriptions of vapes so that vape flavours are no longer targeted at children – we want to ensure this is done in a way that continues to support adult smokers to switch
- Regulating point of sale displays in retail outlets so that vapes are kept out of sight from children and away from products that appeal to them, such as sweets
- Regulating vape packaging and product presentation, ensuring that neither the device nor its packaging is targeted to children
- Restricting the sale of disposable vapes, which are clearly linked to the rise in vaping in children. These products are not only attractive to children but also incredibly harmful to the environment
We will also close loopholes in the law which allow children to get free samples and buy non-nicotine vapes.
Enforcement activity will also be strengthened, with an investment of £30 million to support agencies such as local trading standards, HMRC and Border Force to take action to stop underage sales and tackle the import of illicit tobacco and vaping products at the border.
Should you raise the age of sale for vapes year on year too?
- There is a fundamental difference between vapes and cigarettes. There is no more addictive product that is legally sold in our shops than tobacco – a product that will kill two thirds of its users.
- Vapes are substantially less harmful than smoking and can be an effective tool in supporting smoking cessation. Vaping is already estimated to contribute to an extra 50,000 to 70,000 smoking quits per year in England.
- The evidence is clear that vapes should not be used by, or targeted at, kids and we have a duty to protect children from potential harms. So we are looking to take further action to reduce the appeal and availability of vapes to children, while ensuring they remain available to smokers as a quit tool.
How many young people vape and why?
- Recent figures show the number of children using vapes in the past three years has tripled, with 20.5% of children aged between 11 and 17 having tried vaping in 2023, according to Action on Smoking and Health (ASH). Similar trends are reflected globally, including in Canada and New Zealand.
- Use amongst younger children is also rising, with 9% of 11- to 15-year-olds reportedly using vapes, according to a 2021 survey by NHS Digital.
- The proportion of young vape users that use disposable vapes has significantly increased in recent years - in 2021, only 7.7 per cent of current vapers aged 11 to 17 used disposable vapes, which increased to 52 per cent in 2022 and 69 per cent in 2023.
- To ensure we get the balance right between protecting our children and supporting adult smokers to quit the government will launch a consultation.
- It will gather views on vape measures including restricting flavours, regulating point of sale displays, regulating vape packaging, and will consider restricting the sale of disposable vapes, which are linked to the rise in vaping in children and harm the environment.
Is smoking still a problem?
- Yes. Although significant progress has been made in recent decades, 1 in 8 adults still smoke in England, and tobacco remains the single largest cause of preventable illness and mortality killing two out of three lifelong smokers.
How will increasing the legal smoking age be enforced? Isn’t it just going to be a waste of police time?
- A strong approach to enforcement is vital if the smokefree generation legislation is to have real impact to protect public health.
- As is the case with existing age of sale legislation for tobacco products, breaches of the new law will primarily be dealt with by local authorities rather than the police.
- We are strengthening action against illicit production and sales, including by increasing investment for enforcement by £30 million a year, introducing powers to give on the spot fines (fixed penalty notices), and enhancing online age verification.
Is this taking people’s rights away?
- We are not taking anyone’s rights away. Because the increase in the age of sale will be phased in one year at a time, no one who can legally be sold tobacco products today will be prevented from being sold tobacco now or in the future. And the government has never and will not criminalise smoking in this country.
- Nicotine is highly addictive so once people have started smoking, they are not really making a free choice. The vast majority smokers wish they have never started in the first place and try to quit but cannot.
- We are stopping children from starting to smoke as they grow up. In reality, no parent wants their child to smoke and this policy will help that aspiration becoming a reality.
- And the difference between tobacco and other legal products is that there is no safe level of smoking. Smoking cannot be part of a balanced diet in the way sugar, salt or alcohol for example can.
Are you providing more funding for stop smoking services?
- We are providing £70 million of additional new funding for local authority stop smoking services – in addition to existing funding. We are supporting people to quit smoking by more than doubling the funding available to £138 million for local stop smoking services.
- This will support a total of around 360,000 people a year to set a quit date.
Will retailers help enforce these measures?
- A strong approach to enforcement is vital if the smokefree generation legislation is to have real impact to protect public health.
- It is already illegal for retailers to sell tobacco products to people under the age of 18.
- We expect retailers to verify the age of customers in much the same way they already do – for example, by asking for identification and checking the date of birth.
- We recognise this is a change for retailers which is why we are consulting on the measures before bringing forward legislation and the changes will be brought in gradually to allow retailers to prepare.
- As is the case with existing age of sale legislation for tobacco products, breaches of the new law will primarily be dealt with by local authorities rather than the police.
- The phased approach will also ease the burden on retailers. We are intentionally not taking steps such as proposing a national licensing scheme, which may have placed a greater burden on convenience stores.
Will the government lose money in tobacco tax revenue?
- Currently the Treasury receives around £10 billion income from taxes on tobacco products. This is dwarfed by comparison to the cost to the economy and the NHS of smoking – totalling £17 billion a year.
- This policy will save tens of thousands of lives and billions of pounds for our NHS and the economy, while levelling up the UK by tackling one of the most important preventable causes of health disparities and the gap in life expectancy.
Will these measures only apply in England?
- The consultation is UK-wide. These measures have generated widespread support right across the four corners of the UK, with the Welsh government, Scottish government, and the Northern Ireland Department of Health all giving it their backing and agreeing to a joint consultation.
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