England: NGOs call for tougher vaping regulations to protect young people

While England is one of the only countries in the world to have integrated the use of e-cigarettes into its strategy to reduce smoking and achieve a tobacco-free generation, some anti-smoking associations are beginning to reverse this approach and are calling on the government to strengthen regulations on vaping products, particularly in terms of taxation and advertising.

Following the worrying rise in the number of young people using vaping products in England and growing concern among parents, teachers and local authorities, the NGO Action for Smoking and Health (ASH) is calling on the government to act immediately to tighten regulations on these products.[1].

Reducing the attractiveness of vaping devices to young people

For ASH, vaping products should not be displayed at points of sale but should be concealed by removing stalls (display ban). The packaging of these products should correspond to plain packaging like manufactured cigarettes in order to reduce their appeal to young people. In this same perspective, the organization recommends banning product names or descriptors associated with candy or sweets, such as "gummy bear." Similarly, design features such as "light-up" e-cigarettes that can be used in the dark as light sticks should be prohibited. Finally, similar to the recommendations regarding customer age control related to compliance with the ban on the sale of tobacco products to minors, it is recommended that sellers must verify the age of anyone who appears to be under 25 and who wishes to purchase a vaping product.

ASH also recommends introducing a £4 excise tax on disposable devices (puffs) to reduce the accessibility of these products to young people, who can currently buy them for less than £5.

ASH data shows that 8.6% of 11- to 18-year-olds in England were vaping regularly in 2022, compared to 4% in 2021. According to a recent study[2], although it has been illegal to sell e-cigarettes to minors under 18 in England since 2015, 57% of them said they could easily get them in shops, whether newsagents, specialist stores or supermarkets.

The Local Government Association (LGA) says regulations governing tobacco products should also apply to vaping products. The LGA also calls for tougher penalties for establishments that violate the ban on sales to minors.

More and more European countries want to strengthen regulations around vaping

The Scottish government recently announced its intention to ban disposable e-cigarettes in the interests of environmental protection and the protection of young people.[3]A Green MP wants to go further and has proposed removing product display shelves in stores and banning attractive flavors for all vaping products.[4].

In November 2022[5], Health Minister Stephen Donnelly and Public Health Minister Frank Feighan have indicated that they intend to introduce additional restrictions on the sale and advertising of vaping products. The aim is to limit young people's exposure to vaping advertisements and thus prevent them from starting to use these products.

By the end of 2022, the Netherlands[6] have indicated that they will ban all flavors for vaping devices (whether disposable or not) by October 2023, with the exception of tobacco flavoring. This ban is considered essential to protect young people from being introduced to vaping products. On February 13, 2023, the National Committee Against Smoking (CNCT) published its study on new tobacco and nicotine products and made a similar recommendation, calling for a ban on all flavors (except tobacco flavor) for all nicotine-containing products (excluding nicotine replacement treatments). The CNCT believes the huge variety of flavors and aromas on offer are designed to attract young consumers.

Keywords: England, vaping, puffs, advertising, taxation, Europe, young people

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[1] Press release, ASH calls on Chancellor to tax disposable vapes, Action for Smoking and Health published on February 11, 2023, accessed on February 14, 2023

[2] Smoking, Drinking and Drug Use among Young People in England, 2021, NHS report, published 6 September 2022, accessed 14 February 2023

[3] Tobacco-free generation, Scotland launches study into environmental impact of puffs, published February 6, 2023, accessed February 14, 2023

[4] Tobacco-free generation, Scottish MP proposes ban on attractive displays and flavours for vaping products, published December 30, 2022, accessed February 14, 2023

[5] Tobacco-free generation, Ireland: New restrictions on vaping products, published November 24, 2022, accessed February 14, 2023

[6] Tobacco-free generation, Netherlands bans flavourings in vaping products, published December 6, 2022, accessed February 14, 2023