UK PM Sunak Pledges to Strengthen Vape Marketing Rules

"UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak labels it 'ridiculous' that vapes are marketed to children and vows to reinforce rules on their advertising. During an interview with ITV's This Morning, he expressed concerns over his daughters being enticed by these products.

In a recent BBC investigation, high lead levels, potentially detrimental to brain development, were found in vapes confiscated from school pupils. Selling vapes to those under 18 is unlawful in the UK.

NHS data from the previous year shows a drop in drug use and cigarette smoking among school children. However, vape usage has surged from 6% to 9% among 11 to 15-year-olds in England since 2018. Specifically, vaping among 15-year-old girls saw a significant increase from 10% to 21%.

Action on Smoking Health's latest study reveals that corner shops are the primary source for purchasing vapes, and children's awareness of in-store promotion has significantly grown over the past year.

While e-cigarettes are considered safer than traditional cigarettes due to the absence of harmful tobacco, the government affirms their usefulness as an adult tool for quitting smoking. Simultaneously, it seeks to deter children from vaping and has initiated a consultation on how vapes' appearance and promotion might entice children.

Forty countries have outright banned vapes, with others implementing measures to make them less attractive to youth. For instance, Canada restricts the sale of certain vape flavors.

Labour Party pledges, if victorious, include banning vapes from being branded and advertised to appeal to children and working with local councils and the NHS to ensure vapes are used as a smoking cessation aid rather than a new form of smoking."

Thumbnail source: Sky news