ASH Response to the Government announcement on youth vaping

Government press release: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/no-more-free-vapes-for-kids

ASH will be publishing a full set of recommendations for Government action on youth vaping the day after the consultation closes on the Government’s Call for Evidence on 7th June. For more information please email press@ash.org.uk

Comment on Government announcement

Deborah Arnott, chief executive of ASH said:

“We welcome Government action on youth vaping, but the PM’s proposals are baby steps not the tough action that’s needed. Tough action which would have happened already if the Government had accepted backbench amendments on vaping to the 2021 Health & Social Care Bill. Those amendments, supported by ASH and all the main parties except the Conservatives, would already have banned free vapes for kids, and made it possible to prohibit branding on vapes appealing to children, such as sweet names and bright colours. Instead it will take months if not years for these measures to be enacted.

“This initial announcement must be quickly followed by more detailed action when the Government’s current ‘call for evidence’ on vaping closes next week. The most important immediate step the Government could take now is to put a tax on the cheap disposables which are the vape of choice for children, as well as being bad for the environment. We called on the Government to do this in the Spring budget, but again they ignored us. Children are very price sensitive, and the most popular disposable vape, Elf Bar can be bought for as little as £2.99. A tax of £5 per disposable vape would make them much less affordable for children and could be implemented far more quickly than the ban on disposables that some have called for. The government doesn’t have to wait until the next Budget, finance bills can be brought forward rapidly, as they were during COVID. Making vapes excisable products would also give government greater powers to control their import, so helping limit the market for illegal vapes which is currently out of control.”

ENDS

Notes to the Editor
For interviews and more information contact press@ash.org.uk

Background
ASH fact sheet on youth vaping
https://ash.org.uk/media-centre/news/press-releases/experimental-child-vaping-up-significantly-since-2022-but-not-current-vaping

Call from ASH to tax disposable vapes in the Spring Budget
The cheapest Elf Bar disposables now cost £2.99 even less than the £4.99 they cost at the time of the Budget: https://ash.org.uk/media-centre/news/press-releases/ash-calls-on-chancellor-to-tax-disposable-vapes

Amendments to the Health & Social Care Bill
New clause 4—Packaging and labelling of nicotine products—
“The Secretary of State may by regulations make provision about the retail packaging and labelling of electronic cigarettes and other novel nicotine products including requirements for health warnings and prohibition of branding elements attractive to children.”

This new clause would give powers to the Secretary of State to prohibit branding on e-cigarette packaging which is appealing to children.

New clause 5—Sale and distribution of nicotine products to children under the age of 18 years—
“(1) The Secretary of State may by regulations prohibit the free distribution of nicotine products to those aged under 18 years, and prohibit the sale of all nicotine products to those under 18.

Labour divided the House on new clause 4 – and only the Government voted against the other parties all supported https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2021-11-22/division/8907CA97-ED72-4921-BD22-54E6B890DC48/HealthAndCareBill?outputType=Party

Previous ASH calls for Government action in 2021
https://ash.org.uk/uploads/PIR-consultation2021_ASHSPECTRUM_FINAL.pdf