The Government has announced a crackdown on the 'unacceptable' targeting of children in vape adverts. It comes after a headteacher revealed one of his school's pupils recently collapsed after one puff of a vape bought on Manchester's 'counterfeit street'.
Glyn Potts, headteacher at Blessed John Henry Newman RC College in Chadderton, warned that young people 'need advice and information' on the realities of vaping. But Ministers have now pledged to close a loophole allowing retailers to give free samples of vapes to children in England.
There will also be a review into banning retailers selling 'nicotine-free' vapes to under-18s, and on the rules for issuing fines to shops that illegally sell vapes to children.
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Rishi Sunak says he is 'deeply concerned' about an increase in children vaping, with 9% of 11 to 15-year-olds using e-cigarettes in 2021, up from 6% in 2018.
The Prime Minister says he has been 'shocked by reports of illicit vapes containing lead getting into the hands of schoolchildren'. He added: "Our new illicit vape enforcement squad - backed by £3 million - is on the case but clearly there is more to do.
"That is why I am taking further action today to clamp down on rogue firms who unlawfully target our children with these products. The marketing and the illegal sales of vapes to children is completely unacceptable and I will do everything in my power to end this practice for good."
Mr Potts told the Manchester Evening News that pupils were 'shocked' and 'scared' when their classmate became unwell after his first ever puff of a vape pen, before passing out near the school gates. It was later revealed the student had been told the disposable vape contained CBD oil, when he purchased it in the Strangeways area.
"We don't know what is going in the vapes themselves, and a number of them are repurposed," said Mr Potts. "We are seeing vapes that have been reignited with chemicals and toxins that we don't know about.
"That's certainly the case with the young man that collapsed at our school." The headteacher warned that for some, there is a 'misconception' that vaping is 'relatively harmless'.
He added: "But we're actually creating nicotine-addicted young people, which is then leading to other challenges and other illnesses. Flavours like cherry blossom might make them more appealing - but they mean the same dangers."
Rishi Sunak told ITV’s Good Morning Britain he had concerns about his own daughters potentially being targeted by vape marketing. The new review could make it easier for local trading standards officials to issue on-the-spot fines and fixed penalty notice to shops which illegally sell vapes to children.
Speaking to broadcasters on Tuesday morning at a lab in Kent, Mr Sunak said the Government would take 'further action' to regulate the market and promotion of vapes if necessary. He added: "As we have seen here today at this lab, there are a range of products which are clearly not designed for adults.
"They are designed to appeal to children in the way that they are marketed, promoted, the flavours they use. That’s why at the moment we are asking for people’s views on that and that may well be one of the steps that we take to change how we regulate the market and promotion of vapes.
"They shouldn’t be deliberately targeting children, that’s illegal. If we need to take further action to do that, that’s what we will do."
Chief Medical Officer Professor Sir Chris Whitty called the decision to close the loophole a 'very welcome step', insisting that non-smokers should not be encouraged to start vaping. The crackdown will also see the health risks of vaping included in Relationships, Sex and Health Education lessons, as part of the ongoing government review of the curriculum.
Dedicated police school liaison officers will also work to keep illegal vapes out of schools. It follows the creation of the 'illicit vapes enforcement squad' earlier this year.
Wes Streeting, Labour’s shadow health secretary, called the announcement a 'baby step'. "We have to act now to stop a new generation of kids getting hooked on nicotine," the Labour MP said.
"But the Conservatives voted down Labour’s plan to ban the marketing of vapes to children. This new announcement is a baby step when we need urgent action now.
"The next Labour government will come down like a tonne of bricks on those pushing vapes to kids." Deborah Arnott, chief executive of the charity Action on Smoking and Health, said the proposals were welcome but were 'more detailed action' was needed.
Gillian Golden, chief executive of the Independent British Vape Trade Association, said: "The loophole allowing free samples to be distributed regardless of consumer age is a gap that no self-respecting business should ever have considered exploiting."
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