Members of the Scottish National Party (SNP MSP) in the Scottish Parliament are calling on the Scottish government to take tougher action to curb the growing number of young people who use e-cigarette products frequently.
Stephanie Callaghan expressed concern about the increasing number of young people and teenagers who frequently use e-cigarettes. She hopes that officials in Holyrood will consider implementing stricter regulations on the advertising and sale of these products. Callaghan stated, "I smoked for decades and was constantly worried it would kill me, leaving my children without a mother. While quitting smoking was one of the best things I ever did, and e-cigarettes helped me achieve that, as a parent, I am very worried about the sharp increase in young people who use e-cigarettes frequently.
On one hand, electronic cigarettes are a useful tool for helping adults quit smoking and I am not against them - but the explosive growth of cheap disposable e-cigarettes seems to be encouraging recreational use among young people who have never smoked. Sweet-flavored e-cigarettes are quietly entering new spaces, such as phone shops and hair salons. Recent evidence suggests that these products can serve as a gateway to other tobacco use and may increase the risk of becoming a smoker threefold for users.
Last month, the Scottish government released a consultation document on tightening advertising regulations for e-cigarette products. However, it acknowledged receiving "mixed" responses.
MSP Callaghan, representing Bellshill and Uddingston, posed a question to Nicola Sturgeon during last week’s First Minister’s Questions. Callaghan added that, "at this stage, no options have been ruled out. Any actions we seek to take will be built on existing regulations which restrict the marketing, promotion and sale of e-cigarette products to those under the age of 18.
According to data shared by the charity organization ASH Scotland, which opposes smoking, it is estimated that 4.3 million people in Scotland, England, and Wales use e-cigarettes, making up 8.3% of all adults.
Currently, there are 4.3 million people using electronic cigarettes, of which approximately 2.4 million are former smokers, 1.5 million are current smokers, and 350,000 have never smoked. Data shows that the proportion of electronic cigarette users who have never smoked has increased from 4.9% in 2021 to 8.1% this year. The Scottish government is expected to release the next tobacco action plan next year.
The current goal is to protect all children born since 2013 from exposure to tobacco, so that when they reach the age of 21 in 2034, they will become the "smoke-free" generation.
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