Keep vapes out of sight of children in shops, say councils

Vapes should beryllium kept retired of show of children successful shops and the ineligible minimum property of 18 should beryllium marked intelligibly connected each product, accidental councils successful England.

Too galore children are being illegally sold vapes with fruity flavours and colourful packaging, they say.

Doctors person warned of the imaginable semipermanent effects of vaping connected the lungs, and are calling for tighter rules connected packaging and advertising.

Vapes should lone beryllium utilized by smokers who privation to springiness up tobacco.

In the UK, lone those aged 18 and implicit tin bargain vapes oregon e-cigarettes.

But vaping is increasing successful popularity among teenagers, who often usage disposable single-use products similar Elf and Geek bars.

They travel successful a assortment of flavours and colours, are marketed connected societal media and tin beryllium bought successful galore High Street shops, specified arsenic newsagents oregon mobile telephone outlets. They outgo astir £5.

The Local Government Association (LGA), which represents councils successful England, is calling for vaping products to beryllium taxable to the aforesaid rules arsenic cigarettes - sold successful plain packaging and kept retired of scope and show of children down store counters.

Vapes oregon e-cigarettes are safer than cigarettes due to the fact that they bash not incorporate harmful tobacco, oregon nutrient unsafe tar oregon c monoxide from baccy smoke.

However, they usually incorporate the addictive substance nicotine and, if the devices utilized are illegal, they tin besides incorporate perchance unsafe levels of that and different ingredients. Health experts accidental vaping is not risk-free.

Young radical who vape regularly person reported getting nosebleeds, headaches and sore throats. Others accidental they consciousness similar they are addicted.

"It is not close that stores are capable to prominently show vaping paraphernalia for each to see, specified arsenic successful a store window, often successful bright, colourful packaging that tin entreaty to children," said councillor David Fothergill, president of the LGA's Community Wellbeing Board.

He besides said it was "deeply worrying" that much and much children who had ne'er smoked are starting to vape.

Health foundation Ash, which has been providing resources for schools, parents and teachers connected however to halt children vaping, says the authorities should present a taxation connected single-use disposable vapes successful the Budget successful March.

"In 1 elemental measurement this would trim some kid vaping and the immense quantities of single-use vapes being thrown into landfill," says main enforcement Deborah Arnott.

The foundation besides suggests merchandise names resembling sweets oregon featuring cartoon characters should beryllium banned, and anyone who looks nether 25 should beryllium asked for ID successful shops.

Trading Standards precocious said that 1 successful 3 businesses has been recovered to interruption the instrumentality implicit under-age income of vaping products, and it wants to spot them look tougher penalties.

It is besides regularly seizing lorry loads of counterfeit and amerciable vapes from shops crossed the country, arsenic good arsenic astatine Channel ports.

More than fractional of each existent young vapers usage disposable vaping products, compared with conscionable 7.8% 2 years ago.

In October, the Irish authorities launched a consultation connected banning "wasteful" disposable vape products, citing concerns implicit littering.

A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care successful England said pugnacious regulations connected advertizing vaping products to children, nicotine strength, labelling and information were already successful place.

They added: "We are cautiously considering the recommendations from the Khan review: making smoking obsolete, including what much tin beryllium done to support children from vaping."