The UK plans to make e-cigarette packaging simpler to reduce vaping among young people.
The UK government has unveiled plans to ban colorful e-cigarette packaging, child-friendly brands and flavor names inspired by sweets and cocktails as part of a broader effort to reduce vaping among children and teenagers, the BBC reports.The proposals form part of a 12-week public consultation launched under the Tobacco and Vapors Act, as ministers seek to reduce the appeal of vaping products to young people while ensuring they remain available to adult smokers trying to quit cigarettes.Under the proposed rules, vaping products must be sold in plain packaging with strict branding restrictions. Manufacturers will also limit themselves to simple flavor descriptions such as “apple” or “cola,” replacing names that might appeal to younger consumers.The government is also considering requiring retailers to keep e-cigarettes out of sight, similar to current rules governing the display of cigarettes and other tobacco products.Health Minister James Murray said the measures aim to prevent children from being attracted to nicotine products through attractive packaging and marketing.“The evidence is clear: there are too many young people trying e-cigarettes, attracted by the range of flavours, bright colors and marketing offers,” Murray said. “E-cigarettes are less harmful than cigarettes and can play an important role in helping adult smokers quit smoking, but they should never be designed or marketed in ways that entice children.”
This consultation follows the recent passage of the Tobacco and Vaping Act, which aims to create the UK’s first smoke-free generation. Among its measures is a lifetime ban on cigarette sales to anyone born on or after January 1, 2009.The legislation also gives ministers the power to ban vaping in vehicles carrying children and in places such as playgrounds, school entrances and hospital grounds. This comes after the ban on single-use e-cigarettes and ahead of planned restrictions on e-cigarette vending machines, advertising and sponsorship.According to the charity Action on Smoking and Health, cited by the BBC, nearly one million children aged between 11 and 17 in Great Britain, or nearly one in five, will try smoking e-cigarettes in 2025.The consultation also proposes introducing information into cigarette packs to direct smokers to quit support services, while expanding plain packaging requirements to include all tobacco products, including cigars and rolling papers.
