Disposable vapes should be banned immediately in the UK, a former health secretary urged today.
DR Caroline Johnson claimed that banning the sale of devices such as the Elf Bar would prevent an “epidemic of teenage nicotine addiction”.
The Tory MP and pediatrician urged MPs to back her motion, arguing it would also help “protect our planet”.
Dr Johnson’s plea comes days after an investigation by the Mail found children were being illegally sold vapes containing up to 3,500 puffs of nicotine.
Chinese vaping giant Elf Bar has admitted it ‘accidentally’ broke the law after tests found its products exceeded the limits.
Disposable vapes like Elf Bars should be banned in the UK, a former health secretary has claimed (file photo)
Conservative former health minister, dr. Caroline Johnson (pictured) has urged MPs to back her bill banning disposable electronic cigarettes
In response, Tesco has removed some of its gadgets – which sold for just £5.99 – from stores.
The brand, which didn’t launch until 2021, sells 2.5 million Elf Bars 600 in the UK every week, accounting for two out of three of all disposable vapes.
DR Johnson urged MPs to support her Disposable Electronic Cigarette (Sales Ban) Bill.
Although it is illegal to sell e-cigarettes to under-18s, one in ten students are now regular users.
READ MORE: Britain’s best-selling vape pulled from shelves over illegal nicotine content: Company admits it ‘unintentionally’ broke the law after products found to be over the limit
Official data shows that the incidence in children has doubled in less than a decade.
Gadgets are often sold in trendy colors and with kid-friendly names and flavors like Bubble Gum and Strawberry Milkshake.
Although considered safer than smoking by top experts, its long-term health effects remain a mystery, and doctors fear an increase in lung disease and even cancer in the coming decades.
Vapes contain “known carcinogens” and are linked to similar harm to smoking, Dr. Johnson.
“E-cigarettes are very new and some members of this House may remember a time when cigarettes themselves were considered safe,” she added.
Dr Johnson added that banning single-use vapes would also prevent the “vital” lithium batteries that power them from ending up in landfills or polluting the environment.
The Sleaford and North Hykeham MP said: “By banning the sale of disposable vapes, we are promoting a more sustainable way of using e-cigarettes as a quit aid and making vaping less accessible to children, thereby preventing a epidemic of teenage nicotine addiction protects our health. Planet.’
NHS Digital, which last year surveyed almost 10,000 students aged 11 to 15 about their smoking, drug and drinking habits, found that nine per cent currently vaped – the highest recorded rate since the survey began in 2014
The spread of vapes – which can contain as much nicotine as 50 cigarettes – has doubled among children in less than a decade (Photo: Eleven Bars)
The bill by dr. Johnson will face another inquiry by MPs on Friday, March 24, but will not pass the House of Commons without government support.
It comes after it was revealed that the number of British children hospitalized for vaping has quadrupled in a year.
In 2022, around 32 cases of under-18s requiring medical treatment for e-cigarette-related illnesses were recorded, up from just eight the year before.
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
