Headteacher and students warn of vaping health risks
As the government announce a crackdown on vaping today - with a plan to completely ban disposable vapes, we’re joined by the head teacher who’s been leading the charge. Tony McCabe installed a vape detector in his school bathrooms, only for it to go off 112 times in the first day.
With 69% of underage vapers using disposable vapes, Tony’s students, Izzy and Leila, join us to discuss their experience, alongside Dr Sara who will be detailing how little we know about the effects of vaping, and what you can do to stop for good.
Mr Sunak told broadcasters on Monday “some people will disagree with me”, adding: “I don’t think there’s anything unconservative about caring about our children’s health.
“But on smoking, there’s been a long tradition in Parliament of these being free votes, which aren’t party political, people will have their own held views on that, that’s the same as it’s been in the past.
“So I respect that some people will disagree with me on this but… I think this is the right long-term thing for our country. Smoking causes one in four cancer deaths. It’s responsible for a hospital admission every minute.
“And if we don’t do something about it, hundreds of thousands of people will die in the coming years and I think that we do have a chance to do something about it.”
The ban on disposable vapes will use powers already in place under the Environmental Protection Act and is expected to come into force early next year.
Under the new plans, powers will also be introduced to restrict flavours which are specifically marketed at children and ensure that manufacturers produce plainer packaging and change how vapes are displayed in shops, moving them out of children’s sight.
New £100 fines will also be brought in for shops in England and Wales which sell vapes illegally to children.
Trading standards officers will be given powers to act “on the spot” to tackle underage tobacco and vape sales. This builds on a maximum £2,500 fine that local authorities can already impose.
Vaping alternatives – such as nicotine pouches – will also be banned for children.
Some £30 million new funding a year will be provided to bolster enforcement agencies – including Border Force, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and Trading Standards – to implement these measures.