The UK government will open consultations to regulate vape packaging “as soon as possible after the Bill gains Royal Assent”, it has confirmed.
Minister for Public Health and Prevention Ashley Dalton said the bright colours and “child-friendly features” of most vape packaging is too appealing to children.
However, she added that it is important to consider the needs of adult smokers looking to switch to a safer alternative.
She said: “There is a balance to be struck between reducing the appeal of vapes to non-smokers, particularly children, whilst considering the implications for adult smokers to ensure we can achieve the greatest possible impact.”
Concern over nicotine content descriptions
Dalton said there is also concern that nicotine content descriptions on vape packaging is inconsistent, which prevents adults from making informed decisions on nicotine strength.
She said: “The Tobacco and Vapes Bill provides my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care with regulation-making powers to introduce new requirements on retail packaging, including for vaping products and nicotine products..
“It is our intention to regulate the appeal of vapes to children, whilst minimising the impact on adult smokers. We plan on consulting on the preferred options to get this balance right as soon as possible after the bill gains Royal Assent.”
Dalton made the comments in answer to a written question from Liberal Democrat MP Susan Murray, which said: “To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to regulate the packaging of vapes to provide similar safeguards to that of cigarettes.”
However, the Tobacco and Vapes Bill still has some major hurdles to pass before it is given Royal Assent by the King and officially made into law.
Where is the Bill now?
The Bill passed its second reading in the House of Commons in November with ease. It also completed the Committee Stage in January where some suggested amendments were put forward.
The proposed legislation is now awaiting the Report stage, where it will undergo further scrutiny before MPs vote on it again in a third reading. If approved, it will then proceed to the House of Lords for further consideration before being put forward for Royal Assent.
What will the Bill mean for vapes?
The most ambitious part of the new Bill is a generational ban on smoking. The UK is set to become the first country in the world to make it illegal for anyone born in 2009 or after to ever buy cigarettes or tobacco.
The legal smoking age would be raised by one year every year in a bid to stop today’s young people from ever taking up smoking, creating “the first smoke-free generation.”
However, it also clamps down on vaping, despite it being proven to be far safer than cigarettes.
It proposes a ban on e-liquid flavours that are considered to have “youth appeal” or are “targeted at minors.” This includes sweet flavours like cotton candy, bubble gum, gummy bear, cola and dessert, but also fruit, which is the most popular among smokers trying to quit.
Manufacturers of vapes will be required to use plain, “less visually appealing” packaging and shops will have to move them out of sight of children and away from products that might appeal to them such as sweets and chocolate. Advertising and sponsorship of vapes, as well as selling them in vending machines, will also be banned.
The Bill will introduce a new on-the-spot fine of £200 to help Trading Standards officers clamp down on offences such as under age sales. Disposable vapes are to be banned from June 1, 2025, but this is under separate legislation brought by the Department for Food, the Environment and Rural Affairs.
