The UK government has launched a consultation proposing that vapes be sold in plain white packaging with restrictions on colours, branding, and flavour names, aiming to reduce their appeal to children. Health Secretary James Murray announced the 12-week consultation, which would limit vape device colours to white, black, or grey and require flavour descriptions to use simple names like 'apple', banning references to sweets, desserts, and alcohol.
Proposals to Curb Youth Vaping
The Department of Health and Social Care said the plans also include keeping vapes out of sight in shops. Murray told the Press Association: 'Today, we’re launching a 12-week consultation about our plans to make vaping less attractive for children and young people. Because I think we all know that the way that some of the vaping products are promoted – the very colourful packaging and names that might be aimed at children and young people – that’s wrong because we want to make sure that, as well as being a smoke-free generation, we want children and young people not to start vaping in the first place.'
He added: 'Vaping plays a role for adults when they’re coming off smoking, but we want to make sure children and young people don’t start it in the first place. So that’s what this consultation is about.'
Health Experts Back Stronger Regulation
England’s chief medical officer, Professor Sir Chris Whitty, has previously stated that marketing vapes to children is 'utterly unacceptable'. Figures from a poll by Action on Smoking and Health (Ash) indicate that nearly 19% of 11–17-year-olds in Britain have tried vaping. Professor Steve Turner, president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, welcomed the consultation, saying: 'For those of us working with children every day, it is clear that only strong and meaningful regulation will protect them from the harms associated with nicotine addiction.'
Hazel Cheeseman, chief executive of Ash, said: 'Protecting children from harmful vape marketing is the right thing to do. Attractive, colourful branding and images have driven the appeal of vapes to children, leading to an increase in use.'
Packaging and Display Restrictions
The consultation includes plans for white packaging for vapes with restrictions on text colour, imagery, branding, and standardised product information. Officials noted that this follows the success of standardised packaging for cigarettes since 2017. The proposals also include inserts for cigarette packs telling smokers where to get help to quit and plans to require plain packaging for all tobacco products, including rolling paper and cigars. Additionally, exemptions allowing duty-free shops and airports to display tobacco products would be removed, meaning cigarettes and other tobacco products will be restricted from view in those settings.
