The UK government has launched a 12-week consultation proposing sweeping changes to vape packaging, colours, flavours, and in-store displays, aiming to reduce the appeal of vaping to children and young people.
Plain Packaging and Colour Restrictions
Under the proposals, vape devices would be sold only in plain white, black, or grey packaging. Text, imagery, and branding would be heavily restricted, with standardised product information required. The move mirrors the successful standardised packaging for cigarettes introduced in 2017.
Health Secretary James 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."
Flavour Description Restrictions
Flavour descriptions would be limited to simple names such as "apple," while names referring to sweets, desserts, and alcohol would be banned. The aim is to eliminate marketing that appeals to children.
Murray 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."
In-Store Display Bans
The consultation also proposes keeping vapes out of sight in shops, similar to tobacco products. Exemptions for duty-free shops and airports would be removed, meaning tobacco and vape products would be hidden from view in these settings as well.
Evidence and Support
Figures from a poll by Action on Smoking and Health (Ash) show that almost one in five (19%) 11–17-year-olds in Britain have tried vaping. England’s chief medical officer, Professor Sir Chris Whitty, has previously described marketing vapes to children as "utterly unacceptable."
Professor Steve Turner, president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, welcomed the consultation, stating: "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."
Balancing Adult Smokers' Needs
Health officials acknowledge that vapes can help adult smokers quit. Cheeseman noted: "There is a careful balance to strike with regulations. While vapes are not harm free, they are significantly less harmful than smoking and vapes have helped millions of people successfully stop smoking in recent years."
Research published in the Lancet Regional Health Europe found that among children and young people aged 11 to 18, 53% said their peers would be interested in trying vapes in usual packaging, dropping to 38% when shown standardised packs. Among adults, interest remained similar regardless of packaging.
Devolved Administrations
Scotland public health minister Maree Todd said: "The use of vapes has increased in recent years, particularly among children and young people – with almost one in five children saying they have tried vaping. We know that colourful packaging and displays are used as an enticement to children and young people."
Northern Ireland health minister Mike Nesbitt stated: "Restricting the visibility of these products will lessen their appeal, which in turn will reduce youth vaping and prevent future generations from nicotine addiction."
Wales deputy minister for preventative and public health, Nerys Evans, added: "Vapes are being deliberately designed and marketed to appeal to children – with bright colours, cartoon branding and sweet-sounding flavour names that have no place in products containing addictive nicotine. It is simply unacceptable."
