On May 30, the British government announced it would take decisive action to tackle the alarming rise in youth use of e-cigarettes, announcing measures to close a loophole that allows retailers to offer free e-cigarette samples to children.
Concerns have been raised about e-cigarettes’ striking design and attractive taste, which has made them particularly noticeable on grocery store shelves.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak expressed deep concern at the growing prevalence of youth e-cigarette use and highlighted the alarming news today, as revealed by a recent BBC investigation, that schoolchildren are accessing illegal e-cigarettes containing harmful substances such as lead.
In an official statement released by the health department, Sunak described the marketing and illegal sale of e-cigarettes to children as totally unacceptable.
The statement cited a 2023 survey by the public health charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), which found that 40% of 11 – to 17-year-olds admitted to using e-cigarettes simply out of curiosity, while 20% cited peer pressure as their reason for engaging in the behaviour.
The problem extends beyond Britain’s borders, where it is already illegal to sell e-cigarettes to individuals under the age of 18. In the United States, where an estimated 2.55 million middle and high school students reported using e-cigarettes in early 2022, health officials have also expressed concern.
Professor Chris Whitty, England’s chief Medical officer, stressed the importance of encouraging smokers to switch to e-cigarettes as a safer alternative, while cracking down on the marketing and sale of e-cigarettes to minors.
As well as closing the sampling loophole, the UK government has pledged to review rules on fines for retailers selling e-cigarettes to individuals under the age of 18. The aim is to make it easier for local authorities to issue on-the-spot fines and fixed penalty notices so that breaches can be dealt with quickly.
These initiatives underline the government’s commitment to safeguarding the well-being of young people and ensuring that vaping remains a responsible, adult-oriented activity. By cracking down on illegal sales and tightening regulation, authorities in the UK are taking proactive steps to mitigate the risks associated with youth vaping and protect the health of the country’s youth. (Blue hole compilation)
The following is the announcement on the British government website:
A loophole that allows retailers to offer free samples of e-cigarettes to children in England will be closed under new plans to crack down on teenagers’ vaping announced by the prime Minister today.
It comes after the latest NHS figures for 2021 showed 9% of 11 – to 15-year-olds used e-cigarettes, up from 6% in 2018.
It is illegal to sell e-cigarettes to under-18s, but businesses are targeting children, as seen in the recent rise in youth e-cigarette use and the recent surge in the use and promotion of cheap, colourful products, prompting today’s action to crack down on it.
The government also announced today that it would review the ban on retailers selling nicotine-free e-cigarettes to under-18s. This will ensure that our rules are consistent with the way vape products are used.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:
“I am deeply concerned by the dramatic rise in the number of children vaping and am alarmed by today’s news that illegal e-cigarettes containing lead have fallen into the hands of schoolchildren.”
“Our new illegal vape enforcement team – supported by £3m – is on the case, but clearly there is more to do. That is why I am taking further action today to clamp down on rogue companies illegally supplying these products to our children.”
“The marketing and illegal sale of e-cigarettes to children is completely unacceptable and I will do everything in my power to end this practice for good.”
Professor Chris Whitty, Chief medical officer, said:
“While e-cigarettes can be an effective tool for smokers to quit smoking, it is important that non-smokers are not encouraged to start using them. There is a particularly worrying increase in the number of children using e-cigarettes and companies explicitly market these products to children using colours, flavours and cheap disposable options.”
“Closing the loophole that allows companies to provide free samples of vape products to people under 18 is a very welcome step towards addressing some of the harm caused by the vape industry.”
“We should continue to encourage smokers to switch to e-cigarettes as there is less risk, while preventing the marketing and sale of e-cigarettes to children. The rules for fining shops illegally selling e-cigarettes to under-18s will also be reviewed to allow local trading standards to issue on-the-spot fines and fixed penalty notices more easily. This will aim to complement existing fine and penalty procedures and, where possible, cover the illegal and underage sale of e-cigarettes and tobacco. Where gaps are identified, we will take action to close them.”
Health Minister Neil O ‘Brien said:
“The shameful marketing of vaping products to children has led to more and more people trying them. So today we are stepping up our efforts to stop children getting hooked on e-cigarettes, including measures to crack down on companies that give free samples of e-cigarettes to under-18s and, for the first time, adding lessons about the health risks of e-cigarettes to the curriculum.”
“We will also review the provision of on-the-spot fines for illegal shops selling e-cigarettes to underage children, and look into banning the sale of nicotine-free e-cigarettes to under-18s – which we know can be a gateway nicotine product to e-cigarette use. In addition to this, our new dedicated ‘Illegal E-cigarette Enforcement Team’ will also clamp down on online shops selling illegal e-cigarettes to under-18s.”
“This builds on actions announced last month to protect the health of our children and tackle underage vaping, while harnessing the potential of e-cigarettes to help adult smokers quit.”
Gillian Golden, chief executive of the Independent UK Vape Trade Association, said:
“For many years it has been illegal to sell to anyone under 18, as has selling by agency. Those who flout the law bring reputable retailers who adhere to strict age verification protocols into disrepute. We welcome the planned review of nicotine-free products under existing rules and we look forward to continuing to support law enforcement agencies in their fight against illegal trade and illicit products.”
“The loophole that allows consumers to distribute samples for free regardless of their age is a loophole that no self-respecting business should consider exploiting. IBVTA applauds the announcement that such activities will soon become illegal.”
“While the increasing exposure of young people to e-cigarettes is concerning, it is encouraging that the government continues to recognise the important role e-cigarettes can play in reducing adult smoking rates.”
Joe Murillo, chief regulatory officer of Juul Labs, said:
“We welcome the steps outlined by the UK government today to combat youth e-cigarette use. E-cigarettes can play a role in helping adult smokers stay away from cigarettes, but more needs to be done to combat underage use of these products.”
“We believe that governments, regulators and industry can act together to reduce the use and appeal of e-cigarettes to minors, including by restricting the sale and marketing of e-cigarettes to this group.”
In a recent Smoking and Health Smoke-free UK Youth Survey of 11-17 year olds 2023, two in five young people said they vaped just to give it a try, and about one in five did so because other people used them, so I joined.
That’s why schools will also be taking action to ensure that dedicated police school liaison officers across the country are using new resources to keep illegal e-cigarettes out.
The health risks of e-cigarettes will also be included in relationship, sex and health education (RSHE) lessons as part of the government’s ongoing RSHE review to further deter children from vaping.
Today’s new plans follow the announcement last month of £3 million in funding to create a dedicated illegal vape enforcement team to enforce the rules on e-cigarettes and crack down on illegal e-cigarettes and underage sales. The team will work with law enforcement agencies and learn from the government’s work on illegal tobacco trade standards, and will also tackle online shops selling illegal e-cigarettes to under-18s.
The call for evidence on young people’s use of e-cigarettes, launched last month, will build on today’s action by looking at the appeal of e-cigarettes and the evidence on their marketing and promotion, including on social media, to identify opportunities to reduce the number of children using e-cigarettes using vape products – and explore where the government can go further. This will remain open for submissions until June 6, 2023.
Today’s school measures will build on new content published on FRANK and Better Health in October 2022 about the potential risks of young people vaping, and we have already provided input to educational resources produced by our partners, including the PSHE Association.
Our Office of Health Improvement and Differences is also developing a new e-cigarette resource pack for schools for children aged 11-13. Educational resources for young people will inform them of the addictive nature of nicotine and evidence that young people’s developing brains may be more sensitive to its effects. It will also inform them of other potential health risks while clearly distinguishing between these risks and the known serious health hazards associated with smoking. This will be available through the Better Health School Zone website until July.
Schools can also access the Grade 9 PHSE curriculum on the consequences of vaping through the PHSE Association website.
While the increase in illicit use of e-cigarettes by teenagers is concerning, many addicted smokers find using e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation tool. In April, we also announced a world-first national plan, which means that almost a fifth of all smokers in England will be offered e-cigarette starter kits along with behavioural support to help them quit, as part of a range of new measures, The government has met its ambition to go smoke-free by 2030 – reducing smoking rates from 13 per cent to 5 per cent or less.
英国对青少年电子烟采取行动：解决非法销售和营销问题
5月30日，英国政府发布公告称将采取果断行动应对青少年使用电子烟的惊人增长，宣布采取措施堵住允许零售商向儿童免费提供电子烟样品的漏洞。
人们对电子烟引人注目的设计和诱人的味道表示担忧，这使得它们在杂货店货架上特别引人注目。
英国首相里希·苏纳克 (Rishi Sunak) 对青少年使用电子烟的日益普遍表示深切关注，并强调了令人震惊的今日消息，正如 BBC 最近的一项调查所揭示的那样，学童正在获取含有铅等有害物质的非法电子烟。
在卫生部门发布的一份官方声明中，苏纳克认为向儿童营销和非法销售电子烟是完全不能接受的。
该声明引用了公共卫生慈善机构吸烟与健康行动(ASH) 于 2023 年进行的一项调查，该调查发现，在 11 至 17 岁的青少年中，有 40% 的人承认仅仅出于好奇而使用电子烟，而 20% 的人则提到了同伴压力作为他们从事这种行为的原因。
这个问题超出了英国的边界，在英国向 18 岁以下的个人出售电子烟已经是非法的。在美国，2022 年初估计有 255 万初中和高中学生报告使用电子烟，卫生官员也对此表示担忧。
英国首席医疗官 Chris Whitty 教授强调了鼓励吸烟者改用电子烟作为更安全替代品的重要性，同时打击向未成年人营销和销售电子烟的重要性。
除了堵住抽样漏洞外，英国政府还承诺审查有关对向 18 岁以下个人出售电子烟的零售商处以罚款的规定。目的是让地方当局更容易开出当场罚款和定额罚款通知，以便迅速处理违规行为。
这些举措凸显了政府致力于保障年轻人的福祉，并确保电子烟仍然是一项负责任的、面向成人的活动。通过打击非法销售和收紧监管，英国当局正在采取积极措施来减轻与青少年电子烟相关的风险并保护该国青年的健康。（蓝洞编译）
以下为英国政府官网公告：
根据首相今天宣布的打击青少年电子烟的新计划，允许零售商向英格兰儿童免费提供电子烟样品的漏洞将被关闭。
在此之前，NHS 2021 年的最新数据显示，9% 的 11 至 15 岁儿童使用电子烟，高于 2018 年的 6%。
向 18 岁以下的青少年出售电子烟是非法的，但是从最近青少年电子烟使用率的上升以及最近使用和促销廉价、色彩缤纷的产品的激增可以看出，企业正在针对儿童，这促使今天采取行动打击这。
政府今天还宣布，将对禁止零售商向 18 岁以下儿童销售无尼古丁电子烟进行审查。这将确保我们的规则与电子烟产品的使用方式保持一致。
首相Rishi Sunak 说：
「我对儿童吸电子烟的人数急剧上升深感担忧，并对有关含铅非法电子烟落入学童手中的今日消息感到震惊。」
「我们新的非法电子烟执法小组——得到 300 万英镑的支持——正在处理此案，但显然还有更多工作要做。这就是为什么我今天要采取进一步行动来取缔非法向我们的孩子提供这些产品的流氓公司。」
「向儿童营销和非法销售电子烟是完全不能接受的，我将尽我所能永远结束这种做法。」
首席医学官 Chris Whitty 教授说：
「虽然电子烟对吸烟者来说是一种有效的戒烟工具，但重要的是不鼓励非吸烟者开始使用电子烟。使用电子烟的儿童数量特别令人担忧地增加，公司明确地使用颜色、口味和廉价的一次性选择向儿童推销这些产品。」
「填补允许公司向 18 岁以下的人免费提供电子烟产品样品的漏洞，是解决电子烟行业造成的一些危害的非常受欢迎的一步。」
「我们应该继续鼓励吸烟者改用电子烟，因为风险较小，同时防止向儿童营销和销售电子烟。还将审查对非法向 18 岁以下未成年人销售电子烟的商店处以罚款的规则，以允许当地贸易标准更容易地当场发出罚款和定额罚款通知。这将旨在补充现有的罚款和处罚程序，并在可能的情况下涵盖电子烟和烟草的非法和未成年人销售。在发现差距的地方，我们将采取行动缩小差距。」
卫生部长尼尔奥布莱恩说：
「向儿童销售电子烟产品的可耻营销导致越来越多的人尝试电子烟。因此，今天我们正在加紧努力，阻止孩子们迷上电子烟，包括采取措施打击向 18 岁以下儿童免费提供电子烟样品的公司，并首次在课程中增加有关电子烟健康风险的课程。」
「我们还将审查对向未成年儿童销售电子烟的违法商店处以当场罚款的规定，并研究禁止向 18 岁以下儿童销售不含尼古丁的电子烟——我们知道这可以成为使用电子烟的途径尼古丁产品。除此之外，我们新成立的专门“非法电子烟执法小组”还将取缔向 18 岁以下儿童出售非法电子烟的网上商店。」
「这是基于上个月宣布的保护我们孩子的健康和解决未成年人电子烟问题的行动，同时利用电子烟的潜力帮助成年吸烟者戒烟。」
英国独立电子烟贸易协会首席执行官 Gillian Golden 表示：
「多年来，向 18 岁以下的人销售产品都是非法的，代理销售也是如此。那些无视法律的人会使遵守严格年龄验证协议的信誉良好的零售商声名狼藉。我们欢迎根据现有规则对无尼古丁产品进行计划审查，我们期待继续支持执法机构打击非法贸易和非法产品。」
「无论消费者年龄如何都可以免费分发样品的漏洞是任何有自尊心的企业都不应该考虑利用的漏洞。IBVTA 对宣布此类活动将很快成为非法活动表示赞赏。」
「虽然年轻人越来越多地接触电子烟令人担忧，但令人鼓舞的是，政府继续认识到电子烟在降低成人吸烟率方面的重要作用。」
Juul Labs 首席监管官 Joe Murillo 表示：
「我们欢迎英国政府今天概述的打击青少年使用电子烟的步骤。电子烟在帮助成年吸烟者远离香烟方面可以发挥作用，但还需要做更多工作来打击未成年人使用这些产品。」
「我们相信政府、监管机构和行业可以共同采取行动，减少电子烟对未成年人的使用和吸引力，包括限制向这一群体销售和营销电子烟。」
在最近一项针对 11-17 岁青少年的2023 年吸烟与健康无烟英国青年调查中，五分之二的年轻人表示他们抽电子烟只是为了试一试，大约五分之一的人是因为其他人使用电子烟，所以我加入。
这就是为什么学校也将采取行动，确保全国各地专门的警察学校联络官正在使用新资源将非法电子烟拒之门外。
作为政府正在进行的 RSHE 审查的一部分，电子烟的健康风险也将包含在关系、性和健康教育 (RSHE) 课程中，以进一步阻止儿童吸食电子烟。
今天的新计划是在上个月宣布提供300 万英镑资金以创建一个专门的非法电子烟执法小组以实施有关电子烟的规则并打击非法电子烟和未成年人销售的消息之后制定的。该小组将与执法机构合作，并从政府在非法烟草贸易标准方面的工作中学习，还将处理向 18 岁以下儿童出售非法电子烟的网上商店。
上个月发起的关于青少年使用电子烟的证据征集将以今天的行动为基础，通过研究电子烟的吸引力以及电子烟的营销和推广（包括在社交媒体上）的证据，以确定减少接触和使用电子烟的儿童数量的机会使用电子烟产品——并探索政府可以走得更远的地方。这将一直开放供提交，直到 2023 年 6 月 6 日。
今天的学校措施将基于 2022 年 10 月在 FRANK 和 Better Health 网站上发布的关于年轻人吸电子烟的潜在风险的新内容，我们已经为包括 PSHE 协会在内的合作伙伴制作的教育资源提供了投入。
我们的健康改善和差异办公室也在为学校开发一个新的电子烟资源包，供 11-13 岁的儿童使用。年轻人的教育资源将告知他们尼古丁的成瘾性以及年轻人正在发育的大脑可能对其影响更敏感的证据。它还将告知他们其他潜在的健康风险，同时明确区分这些风险与吸烟相关的已知严重健康危害。这将在 7 月之前通过 Better Health School Zone 网站提供。
学校还可以通过 PHSE 协会网站访问关于电子烟后果的 9 年级 PHSE 课程。
虽然青少年非法使用电子烟的人数增加令人担忧，但许多上瘾的吸烟者发现使用电子烟作为戒烟工具。4 月，我们还宣布了一项世界首创的全国计划，这意味着将向英格兰所有吸烟者中近五分之一的人提供电子烟入门套件以及行为支持，以帮助他们戒烟，这是一系列新措施的一部分，以帮助他们戒烟政府实现了到 2030 年实现无烟化的雄心——将吸烟率从 13% 降低到 5% 或更低。