The British Medical Association (BMA) has urged the Government to ban all disposable and non-tobacco flavoured vapes in a bid to stop the ‘epidemic’ of vaping.
A new report by the doctors’ union has set out a series of ‘bold actions’ for the Government to take to ‘stem the trend of increased vaping’, particularly among children and young people.
The new Labour Government confirmed last month that it will introduce laws to clamp down on vaping with a commitment to carry forward the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which originated during Rishi Sunak’s time as Prime Minister.
Under the new legislation there would be ‘limits’ on the sale and marketing of vapes, including a restriction on vape flavours, packaging and points of sale.
However, the BMA said that this bill had not been ‘carried forward into the new parliamentary session’ and that ‘so far there are no details of any measures that will be taken’.
The BMA’s tobacco report therefore sets out a ‘blueprint for what legislation should include to tackle rising vape use’, and it suggests that ‘one of the most dominant factors influencing this rise is the widespread availability of disposable vapes’.
According to the charity Action on Smoking and Health, 7.6% of 11- to 17-year-olds are now vaping regularly or occasionally, compared to 1.3% in 2014.
The doctors’ union called on the Government to ban disposable vapes ‘on the grounds of disproportionate and harmful use by children and young people and their adverse impact on the environment’.
Other recommendations set out in the report included:
- Banning all non-tobacco vape flavours
- Prohibiting the use of all imagery, colouring and branding for both the packaging and vape devices, similar to current restrictions on cigarettes
- Further restrictions on all advertising and marketing, and ensuring vapes are kept behind the counter and not on display in shops and retail outlets
- Government education campaigns for the public on the dangers of vapes to reduce appeal.
The report recognised that vapes can be useful for people trying to quit smoking cigarettes, but pointed out that they are a ‘less dangerous rather than risk-free alternative’.
Nicotine addiction caused by vaping could lead to health problems such as high blood pressure and increased risk of COPD, according to the report.
BMA public health medicine committee chair Dr Penelope Toff said the new Government ‘must now ensure’ the measures in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill are ‘carried through into legislation’, and ‘would do well to go even further’.
She continued: ‘While this Government has rightly pledged to tackle smoking and vaping, the test will be in how it acts.
‘As we await details, we have put together this blueprint of the actions that are crucial right now to stop this serious public health threat in its tracks.’
Professor David Strain, chair of the BMA’s board of science, said vape usage has ‘risen hugely in the last decade’ and there is now a ‘vaping epidemic’.
He said: ‘As a doctor, I understand the role vapes can play in helping people to stop smoking, but they have no rightful place in our children and young people’s lives and when it comes to protecting their health, we cannot afford to gamble.
‘An industry so obviously targeting children with colours, flavours and branding, to push a product that can lead to nicotine addiction and potential further harms cannot be allowed to happen any longer.’
In response to the report, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said that the marketing of vapes to children is ‘utterly unacceptable’.
They continued: ‘Vapes can be an effective way for adult smokers to quit, but we have always been clear that children and adult non-smokers should never vape.
‘The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will stop vapes from deliberately being branded and advertised to appeal to children, including by regulating flavours, packaging and changing how and where they are displayed in shops.’
A version of this article was originally published by our sister publication Pulse.
