THE UK Government is reportedly considering a new tax on vapes in a bid to discourage their use.
Ministers are weighing up whether to slap more restrictions on the addictive smoking substitute, Politico reports.
These would include new regulations on packaging, marketing and a potential crack-down on sweet and fruity flavours to curb their appeal to children, amid fears youngsters are becoming hooked on the tobacco alternative.
Vapes do not contain the plant which fills cigarettes and cigars with huge amounts of deadly chemicals – but they are addictive because they contain nicotine and experts have warned they can still be harmful.
Ministers are said not to be considering an all-out ban on disposable vapes, unlike the Scottish Government which has committed to an urgent review of the products.
The proposals are being drawn up in response to the Khan review, published last year, which looked at ways in which England could go smoke-free before 2030, the site reported.
The Government is said to be publishing its official response in the spring.
A ban on vapes would be met with fury from tobacco firms, who have turned to technology to maintain profits as the number of smokers in the UK declines.
One person in the health department said to have knowledge of the discussions told Playbook: “We will be responding to the Khan Review some time in the spring.
“It will look at vaping, with the benefits it has for getting people to stop smoking. Obviously, when it comes to kids vaping, we do have to nip that in the bud.”
If Scotland went ahead with a ban on single-use vapes, it could be overridden by Westminster because of the Internal Market Act.
The SNP’s Scotland spokesperson at Westminster, Philippa Whitford, told Playbook PM: “This is why the Internal Market Act drives a coach and horses through devolution.
“Before you even get to the practicality it will create a political clash. You’ll already have the constitutional issue of whether it will be able to happen.”
