UK to ban disposable vapes to protect children's health

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is set to ban on Monday disposable vapes across the UK in a bid to address "alarming rise" in youth vaping.

The move is meant to address the alarming rise in youth vaping with the proportion of 11 to 17-year-old vapers using disposables increasing almost nine-fold in the last two years.   

Sunak is expected to explain the plans during a visit to a school on Monday.

The new law will also make it illegal to sell tobacco products to anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 2009, delivering on Sunak's pledge to create a" smoke-free generation."

In October 2023, he proposed raising the smoking age by one year every year, implying that tobacco will never be legally sold to children aged 14 or younger.

To prevent underage sales, the government will also bring in new fines for shops in England and Wales which sell vapes illegally to children.

"As any parent or teacher knows, one of the most worrying trends at the moment is the rise in vaping among children, and so we must act before it becomes endemic," Sunak said in a statement.

"Alongside our commitment to stop children who turn 15 this year or younger from ever legally being sold cigarettes, these changes will leave a lasting legacy by protecting our children’s health for the long term."