The UK island of Guernsey has passed new legislation banning disposable vapes and the sale and marketing of vapes to under 18s.
The new regulations were passed unanimously, by 40 votes to zero, by the assembly last week.
Deputy Al Brouard, president of the Committee for Health and Social Care, said: “The committee is delighted that this legislation was passed by the assembly in what is a positive health promotion policy, particularly for children and young people in Guernsey.”
Timeline of legislation
The States of Deliberation (the legislature and government of Guernsey), said the ban on sales to under 18s will come into force before the general election on 18 June.
Advertising regulations will follow on 31 October, with a ban on the ‘sale, supply and commercial import’ of disposable vapes coming into force on 31 January 2026. A licensing scheme for retailers will also begin to formally operate at this time. This will follow the ban on disposable vapes being enforced across the rest of the UK on June 1.
Last year, Northern Ireland, Wales and the island of Jersey passed a new bill to ban disposable vapes in line with the rest of the UK.
Until now, Guernsey was one of the few places left in western Europe, aside from Switzerland, without any legislation on the sale of vapes. The UK first introduced legislation restricting sales to children in 2015, with Jersey and the European Union following in 2016.
Dr Nicola Brink, director of public health, said the legislation is “important to protect the health of children and young people”. She added: “Nicotine is an addictive substance and while vapes can help some adult smokers to give up smoking, they are not suitable products for children.”
Importance of vapes to help adult smokers quit
The states acknowledged the importance of vapes for adults who want to quit smoking, saying: “Vapes are becoming increasingly popular and while they can be a useful tool to help adults give up smoking, the long-term risks of vaping in children and young people are unknown.”
Disposable vapes are defined in the new law as those that are ‘not refillable and not rechargeable’.
The marketing rules will ban retailers from advertising vapes or displaying the products or their prices, unless approved as an “exception” by the Committee.
New enforcement powers
The new legislation also provides powers for enforcement with details on search and seizure, and a maximum prison sentence of three months for the unlicensed sale of vaping products.
Passing the new law, the states said: “This Ordinance, made under the Vaping Products (Enabling Provisions) (Guernsey) Law, 2024, enacts wide-ranging controls on vaping products bringing Guernsey one step closer to creating a healthier environment for children and young people through a ban on disposable vapes, prohibiting the sale of vapes to under 18s and prohibiting marketing to children in vape outlets. A licensing scheme will also be introduced.”
