Sir Chris Whitty has branded the illegal sale of vapes and nicotine products to under-18s as "completely unacceptable."
The UK's Chief Medical Officer hit out at unscrupulous sellers as new laws came into force banning the sale of nicotine pouches and nicotine-free vapes to children. The rules also make it illegal for retailers to plug discounts and free samples or sell the devices through vending machines.
Chief Medical Officer's warning
Last night, Mr Whitty, who became a household name during the COVID-19 pandemic, said: "Aiming to addict children and young people under 18 to nicotine of any kind or encouraging them to vape sets them up for lifelong health harms.
"Nicotine, of any form, is highly addictive. Those promoting it to children aim to take away their choice through that addiction, [which] can create a lifelong, usually eventually unwilling, customer. New regulations coming in today should make it harder for people and companies to try to make a profit from trying to do this."
New restrictions on sales
Selling nicotine vapes to under-18s was already illegal. But until now, retailers could legally sell minors nicotine pouches and nicotine-free vapes. The new law stops this, and makes it an offence for adults to buy or attempt to buy the products for a child.
The measures also include a £10 million-a-year cash boost and new recruits for Trading Standards to help clamp down on illicit sales. More than a million children have tried vaping, and more than 370,000 are regular users.
Phased rollout of the Tobacco and Vapes Act
The new rules form part of the phased rollout of the Tobacco and Vapes Act, which came into force in April. Further measures set to arrive in January include a ban on the sale of tobacco, herbal smoking products and cigarette papers to anyone born on or after January 1, 2009. Anyone born after this date will never be legally sold tobacco.
There are also plans to restrict product packaging, flavours, displays and on widening smoke-free and introducing vape-free places. Nerys Evans, deputy minister for public and preventative health, said: "We all want to see our children grow up happy and healthy, free from the risk of nicotine addiction. Vapes and nicotine products have been marketed towards young people, drawing far too many in.
"The new restrictions mean that all vaping and nicotine products cannot be sold to under 18s and the tactics used to tempt them will no longer be allowed. These changes are giving our young people and children a better chance to grow up healthier, now and for years to come."
