Vaping is never recommended for children and carries the risk of future harm and addiction. The active ingredient in most vapes, apart from nicotine-free vapes, is nicotine which, when inhaled, is a highly addictive drug. Evidence suggests that the brain in adolescence is more sensitive to the effects of nicotine, so there could be additional risks for young people. The long-term health harms of colours and flavours when inhaled are unknown, but they are certainly very unlikely to be beneficial.<\/p>
The Department does not hold data on the prevalence of the use of disposable vapes by people under the age of 18 years old. However, Action on Smoking and Health\u2019s survey, Use of e-cigarettes among young people in Great Britain, found that 69% of vape users aged 11 to 17 years old mainly used disposable vapes in 2023, rising from 7.7% in 2021. Northern Ireland\u2019s Young person\u2019s behaviour and attitude survey 2022, shows that 85.7% of 11 to 16 year olds in Northern Ireland who currently use vapes, reported that they used disposables. Both surveys are available respectively at the following links:<\/p>
https://ash.org.uk/resources/view/use-of-e-cigarettes-among-young-people-in-great-britain<\/a><\/p> https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/publications/young-persons-behaviour-and-attitudes-survey-2022-substance-use-data-tables<\/a><\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4117", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Andrea Leadsom"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "South Northamptonshire"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Andrea Leadsom"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-03-20", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-03-20T15:56:17.357Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2024-03-13", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Electronic Cigarettes: Children"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment she has made of the (a) prevalence of the use of disposable vapes by people under the age of 18 and (b) impact of that use on their health.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4131", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Jim Shannon"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Strangford"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Jim Shannon"}
], "uin" : "18445"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1687732", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1687732/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The Government is concerned about the worrying rise in vaping among children. Youth vaping has tripled in the last three years, and one in five children now use a vape. The health advice is clear: if you don\u2019t smoke, don\u2019t vape, and children should never vape.<\/p> The Government\u2019s response to the recent smoking and vaping consultation sets out our plan to introduce powers to crack down on youth vaping by restricting flavours, point of sale and packaging for vaping products. We will introduce legislation as soon as possible. The consultation is available at the following link: In the consultation response, we also announced that disposable vapes will be banned, due to their appeal to young people and environmental concerns. The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs will be taking forward the ban and are looking to legislate as soon as possible.<\/p> We have also developed new training resources and support available for teachers and schools, working with the Department for Education to update the curriculum to include the health risks of vaping, and publish new online content on the potential risks of vaping for young people.<\/p> Finally, we will also introduce a £100 fixed penalty notice for underage sales of tobacco and vaping products. This will enable trading standards officers to take quicker and more proportionate enforcement action against the irresponsible retailers who allow underage sales.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4117", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Andrea Leadsom"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "South Northamptonshire"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Andrea Leadsom"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-02-14", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-02-14T15:40:30.22Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2024-02-06", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Electronic Cigarettes: Children"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to help tackle underage vaping.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4131", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Jim Shannon"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Strangford"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Jim Shannon"}
], "uin" : "13266"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1685442", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1685442/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The Government is concerned about the worrying rise in illicit and underage vaping, with rates of youth vaping having tripled in the last three years. Disposable vapes are the most popular device for children, with 69% of current vapers aged 11 to 17 years old in the United Kingdom using them, nearly a ninefold increase in the past two years. Five million disposable vapes are either littered or thrown away in general waste every week, a number which has quadrupled in the last year. <\/p> https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2016/507/contents/made<\/a><\/p> <\/p> On 29 January, the Government responded to the consultation Creating a smokefree generation and tackling youth vaping: your views. This set out our plan to introduce legislation to tackle the appeal and availability of vapes to children. The legislation will introduce powers to restrict flavours, point of sale and packaging of vaping products.<\/p> <\/p> In the consultation response, we also announced that we will be banning disposable vapes. The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs are taking forward the ban and are looking to legislate as soon as possible. The full response is available at the following link:<\/p> <\/p> https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/creating-a-smokefree-generation-and-tackling-youth-vaping/outcome/creating-a-smokefree-generation-and-tackling-youth-vaping-consultation-government-response<\/a><\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4117", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Andrea Leadsom"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "South Northamptonshire"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Andrea Leadsom"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-02-23", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-02-23T09:20:35.617Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2024-01-29", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Electronic Cigarettes: Children"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take legislative steps to tackle the promotion of e-cigarettes and disposable vapes to children.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4511", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dr Rupa Huq"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Ealing Central and Acton"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Dr Rupa Huq"}
], "uin" : "11834"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1668848", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1668848/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " No assessment has been made as it is already illegal to sell vapes to children.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4117", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Andrea Leadsom"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "South Northamptonshire"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Andrea Leadsom"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2023-11-16", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "previousAnswerVersion" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1668848/answer/previousversion/1020", "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4117", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Andrea Leadsom"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "South Northamptonshire"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Andrea Leadsom"}
}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2023-11-16T12:54:39.083Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2023-11-09", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Electronic Cigarettes: Children"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the impact banning vaping for children will have on adults.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4471", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Rachael Maskell"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "York Central"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Rachael Maskell"}
], "uin" : "1170"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1668622", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1668622/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The number of children vaping has tripled in the last three years. Due to highly addictive nicotine content and the unknown long-term harms, vaping carries risk of harm and addiction for children.<\/p> This is why on 4 October 2023, the Prime Minister announced that we will be cracking down on youth vaping, by consulting on measures to reduce the appeal, availability and affordability of vapes to children.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4117", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Andrea Leadsom"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "South Northamptonshire"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Andrea Leadsom"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2023-11-16", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2023-11-16T13:11:16.103Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2023-11-08", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Electronic Cigarettes: Children"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the impact of vaping on the respiratory health of children under 18.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4471", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Rachael Maskell"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "York Central"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Rachael Maskell"}
], "uin" : "845"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1657438", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1657438/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " Data on vaping is available at England level for those aged 11 to 15 through the 'NHS Smoking, Drinking and Drug use among Young People in England' publication. Current vaping prevalence among those aged 11 to 15 was 9% in 2021.<\/p> ASH survey data on youth vaping from 2023 shows a similar trend, with 7.6% of children aged 11 to 17 currently vaping. More information on this survey is available at the following link:<\/p>
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/creating-a-smokefree-generation-and-tackling-youth-vaping/outcome/creating-a-smokefree-generation-and-tackling-youth-vaping-consultation-government-response<\/a><\/p>
The Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016 outlines restrictions on the marketing and promotion of vapes. This includes a ban on television, radio and online advertising. We work closely with the Advertising Standards Authority which investigates advertising on social media platforms. The regulations are available at the following link:<\/p>