Welsh Government confirms plans to ban disposable vapes
Wales is to join England and Scotland in banning disposable vapes.
The Welsh Government will also support UK Government legislation to increase the smoking age so children turning 15 this year or younger can never legally be sold tobacco.
A UK-wide consultation on smoking and vaping closed on December 6 and received 27,921 responses – 1,018 from Wales.
Environmental impacts
The Welsh Government, along with the UK and Scottish governments, intends to introduce legislation to implement a ban on disposable vapes, including both nicotine and non-nicotine products due to their significant environmental impacts.
Lynne Neagle, the Welsh Government’s deputy minister for mental health and wellbeing, said: “Smoking is the leading cause of preventable illness and premature death in Wales.
“It causes a quarter of all cancer deaths in the UK and is responsible for 80,000 preventable deaths in the UK of which around 5,600 are in Wales, each year.
“Whilst vapes can be useful to some smokers in supporting smoking cessation, data shows the number of children using vapes has tripled in the past three years.
“Due to their nicotine content and the unknown long-term harms, vaping carries a risk of harm and addiction for children.
“The use of single-use vapes has also grown in recent years to the point that almost five million are either littered or thrown away each week.
“Not only is this extremely wasteful because of their hard-to-recycle components but disposable vapes are known to be used by children and when littered they can release toxic chemicals into the environment.
“We want to take all actions possible to stop young people from starting smoking in the first place, to prevent youth vaping and to tackle the effects single-use vapes are having on our environment.
“I am grateful to all those from Wales who contributed to this consultation. We will now work jointly with the other nations and take collective action to tackle the harms caused by smoking and youth vaping across the UK.”
Tobacco and Vapes Bill
The UK Government will bring forward a Tobacco and Vapes Bill at the earliest opportunity to introduce powers to restrict flavours which are specifically marketed at children, ensure that manufacturers produce plainer packaging and change how vapes are displayed in shops, moving them out of children’s sight.
New £100 fines will be brought in for shops in England and Wales which sell vapes illegally to children.
Trading standards officers will be given powers to act “on the spot” to tackle underage tobacco and vape sales. This builds on a maximum £2,500 fine that local authorities can already impose.
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Way to late. The kids are hooked and the streets are littered already. The vape shops are dressed up like fun places on the high street, amongst the empty premises. Failed by government again.
Better late than never but never underestimate the UK gov driven this for votes, not because it should have been done ages ago. Bet the tobacco lobby are furious. Or have they been told that if the Tory party get back in it will quietly be rescinded.
Although Wales will follow suit England & Scotland by agreeing to ban the sales of disposable vapes are merely going through the motions as our Welsh Government alone couldn’t ban this product. Imagine the Welsh Conservative response if we introduced standalone legislation. Nanny state would be argued by rabid reactionist Andrew RT Davies no doubt. It was always stated that vapes were an alleged bridge between smoking and quitting the habit. Although I’m amazed that those responsible (Whitehall) allowed the sale of these vapes couldn’t forsee these issues. No doubt ministers have shares in those tobacco firms who manufacture these… Read more »
Collective action means acquiescence to Westminster’s position.
Wales must make decisions for our own people not follow others
Good!
Far too many children attracted to these poisons and far too many used vapes littering our streets, beaches etc. I hope the WG will hurry this ban through.