UK to ban the sale of e-cigarettes

The UK government has prepared a new bill that bans the sale of disposable electronic cigarettes and restricts their flavors to prevent children from becoming addicted to nicotine. As part of the new plan, the government is also proposing a measure to gradually ban the purchase of cigarettes by young people.

In a statement to reporters regarding the plans, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said, “Children should not be vaping, we don’t want them to get addicted. We still don’t fully understand the long-term health impacts of vaping. So it is right that we take strong action to clamp down on this.”

The government's new plan includes new powers expected to come into force next year to restrict flavors “specifically marketed to children,” ensure manufacturers use plainer packaging, and ensure shops move products out of sight of children.

New fines will also be introduced for shops that illegally sell e-cigarettes to children. The new law is expected to be implemented across the United Kingdom.

Although it is illegal to sell e-cigarettes or tobacco to children under 18 in the country, e-cigarette use among young people has tripled in the last three years. According to figures presented by the government, 9 percent of children aged 11 to 15 use e-cigarettes.

Officials state that cheap and colorful disposable e-cigarettes sold in flavors like bubblegum and candy are the “primary driver” of this increase. The nicotine contained in electronic cigarettes, briefly referred to as e-cigarettes, can be highly addictive. It is noted that quitting e-cigarettes can sometimes cause anxiety, concentration problems, and headaches.

Prime Minister Sunak explained that adults who want to use e-cigarettes as a tool to quit smoking will still have access to these kits. Sunak said, “We have got the balance right, we are supporting adult smokers to quit... but we are targeting everything that would ensure children don’t have access to vaping.”

The Sunak government also said it would continue to implement the plan announced last year to gradually raise the legal smoking age so that those born after January 1, 2009, will never be able to legally purchase cigarettes. Health experts welcome the government's new plans. However, some members of the Conservative Party are criticizing the idea, viewing it as excessive state intervention.

The number of smokers in the United Kingdom has fallen by two-thirds since the 1970s, but according to official figures, approximately 6.4 million people, or about 13 percent of the population, still smoke. Last month, the French National Assembly unanimously approved a bill to ban the sale of disposable e-cigarettes that entice young people with their flavors.