MPs are urging the government to mandate age verification technology in vapes to prevent underage use, following the Tobacco and Vapes Act becoming law. The act grants ministers powers to require manufacturers to implement digital child locks, such as Bluetooth-enabled age verification or app-based checks, to ensure only adults can activate devices.
The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Responsible Vaping warns of the 'gamification' of e-cigarettes, where devices include games or rewards that encourage use. They call for regulation of the technology inside vapes, not just sales, to extend protection from point of sale to point of use.
Smart features already exist, including geofencing that can disable vapes near schools or playgrounds. APPG chair Euan Stainbank said: 'While vapes have a place as an adult smoking cessation tool, changes that stop young people getting their hands on vapes are crucial.'
Former Health Secretary Lord Andrew Lansley noted that nearly half of underage vapers buy from shops, and a quarter receive them via proxy purchases. He added: 'The Tobacco and Vapes Act provides a great opportunity to implement technology that means only verified adults would be able to use vapes.'
From next summer, the government will also clamp down on advertising and promotion of e-cigarettes, including banning ads, billboards, and sponsorship. A consultation on plain packaging and hiding vapes under the counter, like cigarettes, is planned.
Chief Medical Officer for England, Professor Sir Chris Whitty, said: 'Marketing vapes at children is utterly unacceptable and this Act takes powers to restrict it.'
