Vapes are seen as a key tool to help people quit cigarettes but their spiralling use among children and young people who have never smoked has been a major cause for concern
Vapes should be sold in plain packaging to stop their appeal to kids, a study has shown.
Researchers at UCL and King’s College London found adults are still likely to buy e-cigarettes sold in plain packs.
Vapes are seen as a key tool to help people quit cigarettes but their spiralling use among children who have never smoked has been a major cause for concern.
The study, which involved 2,770 children and young people aged 11 to 18 and just under 4,000 adults, found 53% of youngsters said their peers would be interested in trying vapes in their usual colourful packaging.
This dropped to 38% when they were shown vapes in standardised packs with usual flavour descriptions. Among adults, interest remained similar whether packs were standardised in white or branded packing.
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The Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which is currently passing through the House of Lords, will end the use of brightly coloured packaging and vape flavours that appeal to children – such as bubble gum, gummy bear and cotton candy.
The legislation will also aim to make Britain smokefree by preventing anyone born on or after January 1, 2009 from ever being able to legally buy tobacco products.
A separate ban on disposable vapes was introduced earlier this year.
Lead author Dr Eve Taylor, based at UCL’s Department of Behavioural Science and Health, said: “Vape packaging and flavour regulations need to strike a delicate balance.
“They must aim to deter young people and people who do not smoke, while at the same time avoid discouraging people who smoke from using vaping to quit.”
The study showed participants usual branded packs; a plain white pack with the usual description of the product in black lettering, such a “blu razz”; a plain pack with limited flavour descriptions, such as “blue raspberry”; and a standardised pack with the flavour listed as a code instead of a name, such as “FR248”.
Hazel Cheeseman, chief executive of the charity Action on Smoking and Health, which supported the study, added: “This is important research which illustrates how policymakers could better regulate vapes to protect children without damaging them as a quitting aid for smokers.”
This week plans will be set out to give local people powers to block new vaping and gambling shops under plans to revive Britain’s high streets. Keir Starmer will this week unveil a shake-up to town planning to give communities more control over where stores can open and how many there can be in their towns.
The PM is expected to announce a new injection of funds to back reforms, with some money going to local councils and some straight into the community for projects. Ministers are also looking at accelerating ways communities can take ownership of empty shops so they don’t end up with rows of vape shops, gambling shops and barbers on their high streets.
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