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The UK government has decided to ban disposable vapes to tackle the rise in youth vaping and protect children's health, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced on Sunday (28 January 2024) during a visit to a school. Official figures revealed that the number of children using vapes has tripled in the past three years, with nine per cent of 11 - to 15-year-olds now affected by this rising trend. Disposable vapes are believed to be mainly driving the worrisome rise in youth vaping, with the number of 11- to 17-year-old vapers using disposables estimated to have increased by almost ninefold in the last two years. Sunak said: "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. "The long-term impacts of vaping are unknown and the nicotine within them can be highly addictive, so while vaping can be a useful tool to help smokers quit, marketing vapes to children is not acceptable."

In response to the concerning surge in youth vaping, the UK government in January announced its decision to ban disposable vapes as a measure to safeguard the health of children. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak stated that while the long-term impacts of vaping were uncertain, the nicotine present in these products can be highly addictive. Therefore, he emphasised that "marketing vapes to children is not acceptable." Now, there's a stronger reason to crack down on vape sales as a new study has revealed that vaping or the use of e-cigarettes may increase the risk of developing heart failure. The study, which involved 175,000 adults in the United States, found that those who use e-cigarettes were 19 per cent more likely to develop heart failure over a four-year period. Dr Yakubu Bene-Alhasan, lead author of the study, from MedStar Health in Baltimore, underscored that an increasing number of studies are linking e-cigarettes with harmful effects, suggesting vaping "might not be as safe as previously thought." With further research, Dr Bene-Alhasan's team plans to uncover "a lot more about the potential health consequences and improve the information out to the public."

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has said that it strongly supports the UK government's proposal that individuals born on or after 1 January 2009 should be prohibited from legally purchasing tobacco products. It has also shown its agreement to several other actions proposed by the Department of Health and Social Care's (DHSC) for 'Creating a Smokefree Generation and Tackling Youth Vaping' including: The inclusion of all tobacco products, cigarette papers, and herbal smoking products in the new legislation. Restrictions on the sale and supply of disposable vapes, and vape flavours. RPS President, Professor Claire Anderson, said: "Our recommendations reflect a commitment to creating a future free from the harms of tobacco and youth vaping. It's crucial to prohibit access for the youngest generation, regulate all tobacco-related items, and address the allure of flavoured e-cigarettes."

A new bill was introduced to Parliament on Wednesday (20 March) to prohibit the sale of tobacco to children under the age of 15, delivering on the Prime Minister's commitment to create a smokefree generation. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill aims to protect future generations from the harmful impacts of smoking, thereby saving thousands of lives and billions of pounds for the NHS. The bill will also introduce new powers to restrict vape flavours and packaging deliberately targeted towards children, as well as allow the government to change how they are displayed in shops, moving them out of sight of children and away from products that appeal to them, like sweets. Additionally, enforcement officers' powers will be strengthened with 'on the spot fines' of £100 to ensure compliance with the new laws. This complements the existing maximum fine of £2,500 that local authorities can already impose. It will also become illegal to provide free samples of vapes to children under the age of 18.

The UK government's proposal to introduce a tobacco and vapes bill received support from the public to create the first 'smokefree generation'. The historic law to ban the sale of tobacco products to children aged 14 and younger from legally being sold cigarettes in England. King Charles delivered his first speech as monarch at the state opening of Parliament on Tuesday, 7 November. The monarch announced the introduction of the "tobacco and vapes bill" in his speech, and it read: "My Government will introduce legislation to create a smoke-free generation by restricting the sale of tobacco so that children currently aged 14 or younger can never be sold cigarettes, and restricting the sale and marketing of e-cigarettes to children."