Plans to tackle youth vaping and smoking set to be scrapped ahead of election
Fiona Simpson
Friday, May 24, 2024
Major government plans to tackle youth vaping and smoking, including a ban on the marketing of vaping products aimed at children, look set to be scrapped ahead of the general election.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Tobacco and Vapes Bill was set to restrict how vapes are marketed to children and lead to fines of up to £2,500 for people who sell non-nicotine vaping products to under 18s.
Packaging, contents and flavouring of vapes across the UK would have been restricted by the Bill, banning packaging deems to be designed to appeal to children.
The legislation would also make it an offence to sell tobacco products to anyone born after 1 January 2009, with on-the-spot fines issued to anyone caught breaking the rule.
Vaping increased among 16-to 24-year-olds in the UK by 4.4% between 2021 and 2022, according to government figures.
However, Leader of the House of Commons Penny Mordaunt did not include the bill among those currently scheduled to be debated before the pre-election period.
Speaking to the BBC in Wales, Sunak declined to say whether the bill would be included.
"I will do everything I can to move these things forward, but it is dependent on the co-operation of other parties," he said.
The bill began its journey through the House of Commons last month and is yet to be debated in the House of Lords, which makes it more difficult for it to be passed quickly.
