Restrictions coming to e-cigarette sales in the UK

The UK government has decided to implement various restrictions on all e-cigarette sales as part of its fight against tobacco and vaping products.

In a statement from 10 Downing Street, it was noted that the number of children using e-cigarettes has tripled in the last three years, with 9 percent of children aged 11-15 now using them.

The statement emphasized that the number of children aged 11-17 using disposable e-cigarettes has increased ninefold in the last two years, and it was announced that decisions have been made to reduce flavors in e-cigarettes, make packaging less eye-catching, and ensure they are sold in a less visible manner in stores.

The statement noted that those who sell these products to children will face a fine of 2,500 pounds (approximately 96,000 lira), and that a budget of 30 million pounds (approximately 1.1 billion lira) will be allocated to combat e-cigarette smuggling and domestic sales.

The statement also noted that the sale of non-cigarette products containing nicotine to children will be banned, and that public health and environmentally friendly measures are being taken. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pointed out that the long-term effects of e-cigarettes are unknown and stated that their sale to children is unacceptable.

Health Secretary Victoria Atkins stated that smoking is the biggest factor among preventable causes of death and that the measures taken by the government are an important step against health problems that cost society 17 billion pounds (approximately 655 billion lira) annually.

Environment Secretary Steve Barclay drew attention to the difficulty of recycling disposable e-cigarettes and emphasized the importance of environmentally friendly measures.

The UK government had previously implemented measures last year to limit the purchase of tobacco and e-cigarette products, including raising the legal smoking age every year. In line with the goal of a "first smoke-free generation," various steps had been taken to ensure that those born after 2009 would never be able to purchase these products in their lifetime.