Nickie Aiken MP

BANNING the sale of vapes to young people must be an “absolute priority” for this government and the next, experts told politicians in the House of Commons this week.

Cities of London and Westminster MP Nickie Aiken had asked about whether vapes should be banned to under-18s, and also made prescription-only as part of smoking cessation programmes. The highly addictive nicotine delivery devices are effective tools for those wanting to stop smoking cigarettes.

But there are concerns that years of progressive anti-smoking legislation have been undone by their rise in popularity with the young.

Despite their widespread sale, the long-term dangers of inhaling the vape chemicals are not known.

The experts were speaking in a committee room “examination of witnesses” meeting, part of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill 2024 legislative process, on Wednesday.

In response to a question from Ms Aiken, Professor Sir Gregor Ian Smith, who was Scotland’s chief medical officer, said: “For me, the absolute priority has to be to remove young people’s ability to access vapes and so begin the journey to nicotine addiction.

“I am not in favour of criminalising the possession of these products, but I am certainly in favour of banning their sale to younger people. If we can achieve that at this stage, if we can begin to shift the culture so that people do not start to use vapes and begin to become addicted – potentially also by using other nicotine and tobacco products – for me that will be a good job done.

“If we do things that way, it will allow us to protect the useful use of vapes: where people with a lifelong addiction to tobacco can use them as way to help them stop. That is the only justification that I can see now for the way we have set this up and for continuing to use vapes in society: as a useful tool for those with a pre-existing addiction to tobacco, so that they can reduce the harm and gradually stop using tobacco, through formal cessation services, as well.”

Ms Aiken had asked whether the government should aim to “stop people selling vapes to under-18s and stop members of the public or family members buying them on behalf of under-18s”.

She asked: “Should we ban under-18s from using vapes full stop? Also should we move vapes on to a prescription basis to ensure that they are aimed at people who want to give up smoking?”

The committee heard how harmful chemicals that can cause “popcorn lung” had been removed from most vapes but that “there are other chemicals, and we still do not know what long-term effects they might have”.

She also put the same point to Professor Kamilla Hawthorne, chair of the council at Royal College of General Practitioners, who said: “That is an interesting question. I prescribe nicotine patches; why should I not prescribe vapes? That would be my thought.”