The British authorities mentioned on Tuesday it will shut a loophole that lets retailers give free samples of vapes to kids in a clampdown on e-cigarettes, whose vibrant designs and fruity flavours make them stand out on grocery retailer cabinets.
“I am deeply concerned about the sharp rise in kids vaping and shocked by reports of illicit vapes containing lead getting into the hands of school children,” Prime Minister Rishi Sunak mentioned within the assertion launched by the well being division, referring to a BBC report final week.
“The marketing and the illegal sales of vapes to children is completely unacceptable.”
The assertion cited a 2023 survey by public well being charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) of 11-17 12 months olds wherein 2 out of 5 younger folks mentioned they smoke vapes simply to strive it, whereas 1 in 5 mentioned they do it because of peer strain.
The challenge shouldn’t be distinctive to Britain, the place promoting vapes to below 18s is illegitimate. An estimated 2.55 million U.S. center and highschool college students reported utilizing e-cigarettes in the course of the early a part of 2022 in a survey, a degree well being officers mentioned was “concerning.”
“We should continue to encourage smokers to swap to vaping as the lesser risk, whilst preventing the marketing and sale of vapes to children,” England’s Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty mentioned within the assertion.
The authorities mentioned it will additionally evaluate the foundations on issuing fines to retailers promoting vapes to below 18s to permit native authorities to challenge on-the-spot fines and glued penalty notices extra simply.
Source: www.anews.com.tr
