Vapes to have less enticing names and flavours to protect children
Health experts say there is no legitimate reason for nicotine products to come in neon packaging, feature cartoon images or use flavors and branding that attract children’s attention.
Murray said: “The evidence is clear: there are so many young people trying vaping, attracted by the range of flavours, bright colours, and marketing displays.
“We must take immediate action to reduce the appeal of addictive e-cigarettes to our children.
“Electronic cigarettes are less harmful than cigarettes and can play an important role in helping adult smokers quit, but they should never be designed or marketed to entice children.
“These proposals seek to strike the right balance and I urge everyone to have their say.”
The 100-day consultation follows the recent introduction of the Tobacco and Vaping Act, which sets out proposals to create the UK’s first smoke-free generation, protect children from nicotine addiction and ensure adult smokers have access to vaping products to help them quit smoking.
Children 17 and under now have a lifetime ban from purchasing cigarettes, as it will be illegal for stores to sell tobacco to anyone born after January 1, 2009.
It also expands anti-smoking laws, giving them the power to ban e-cigarettes in cars carrying children, in playgrounds, outside schools and in hospitals.
This follows the ban on single-use e-cigarettes and comes ahead of future bans on the sale of e-cigarettes from vending machines and a planned end to e-cigarette advertising and sponsorship.
Nearly one million, or one in five, people aged 11 to 17 in Great Britain will report trying e-cigarettes by 2025, according to the charity Action on Smoking and Health.
The consultation also proposes inserts for cigarette packs to advise buyers where they can get help to quit smoking, and plans for all tobacco products, including rolling papers and cigars, to be offered in plain packaging.
