The UK government has announced plans to tackle the rising concern of underage vaping by introducing stricter regulations on the sale and marketing of e-cigarettes. A new consultation aims to curb the appeal of vapes to children, with proposals that include banning 'enticing' flavour descriptions, introducing plain packaging, and restricting the visibility of vapes in shops.
According to Health Secretary James Murray, there is growing evidence that too many young people are being drawn into vaping due to the variety of flavours and eye-catching marketing. To address this issue, the government plans to standardise vape packaging, limiting imagery and branding that could appeal to children. Crucially, flavour names that evoke sweets, desserts, or alcoholic beverages would be banned in a bid to reduce their attractiveness to younger demographics.
Murray stressed that while e-cigarettes can be a valuable tool for adult smokers trying to quit, they should never be designed or marketed in a way that tempts children. He urged the public to participate in the 100-day consultation, highlighting the need to strike a balance between allowing adults access to vapes for cessation purposes and protecting young people from nicotine addiction.
The proposals build on the recently passed Tobacco and Vapes Act, which aims to create a smoke-free generation by making it illegal for shops to sell tobacco to anyone born after 1 January 2009. The legislation also grants powers to extend smoke-free laws to areas such as cars carrying children and hospitals. Furthermore, it follows a ban on single-use vapes and precedes future prohibitions on vape vending machine sales and advertising.
According to data from Action on Smoking and Health, approximately one million 11-17 year olds in Great Britain tried vaping in 2025 - nearly one in five in this age group. The consultation also includes proposals for traditional tobacco products, such as inserting quitting support information into cigarette packs and mandating plain packaging for all tobacco items, including rolling papers and cigars.