Children in Scotland welcomes ban on single use vapes

Following the welcome news of plans to ban single use vapes, Children in Scotland is today calling on the Scottish Government to consider the recommendations of children and young people to further curb the sale and use of tobacco products, including regulating the marketing, display and packaging of e-cigarettes, and implementing better education programmes within primary and secondary schools.

Having identified vaping as a concerning area for discussion, Children in Scotland’s young people’s advisory group, Changing our World (CoW), recently compiled an evidence paper on the use of vapes and other tobacco products in education settings, adding to existing bodies of evidence around the impacts of vaping, while also recommending key areas for policy change.

Over nine group sessions, CoW members, aged 18 to 25, shared first-hand experience of vape use among their peers, expressing concerns about a lack of knowledge around the health impacts of vaping, the marketing of e-cigarettes and vapes, the environmental impact of such plastic products, and how schools are responding to the issue of vaping among pupils.

With members sharing that children and young people now “feel pressure to have a puff” due to the popularity of vapes within social groups – not to mention the “childish flavours” that encourage under-18s to try vaping when they wouldn’t have otherwise tried cigarettes – CoW concluded that more needs to be done within schools to address e-cigarette use.

As well as concluding that a total ban would be the most effective measure for addressing the challenges posed by vapes, CoW also recommended the following:

• Vaping products should be less visible in shops, similar to the current regulations around displaying cigarettes
• The packaging of vaping products should be regulated and only permitted to be plain, making the products less eye-catching or appealing to children and young people
• Personal and Social Education (PSE) in primary and secondary schools should cover vaping, with current resources adapted to become more relevant.

With the Scottish Government committed to reducing youth vaping, Children in Scotland would like to see children and young people invited to be more fully involved in developing future solutions, using recommendations from groups like CoW to put practical, impactful legislation in place.

David Mackay, Children in Scotland’s Head of Policy, Projects and Participation, said: “We wholeheartedly support the government’s plans to ban single use vapes and raise the legal age for the sale of tobacco, especially as research suggests that almost one in five adolescents has tried vaping.

“Changing our World’s evidence paper shows that children are just as worried about the impact of e-cigarettes as adults, and we would now urge decision makers to take further action to curb the harmful impact of vaping by working directly with the young people who are being affected.

“The younger generation can provide vital, fresh perspectives on issues that impact their lives every day, and with The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) now part of Scottish legislation, it’s never been more important to listen to young people’s views and take their recommendations into account.”

Changing our World member, Roderick, said: “It’s a welcome surprise to learn that disposable vapes will be banned. Since disposable vapes are so common amongst young people today, banning them will be a huge step forward in helping young people across the country to avoid the dangers of nicotine use.”

Click here to access the Changing our World and Children in Scotland Vaping Evidence paper

For further information, interviews and all media requests please contact Alice Hinds: ahinds@childreninscotland.org.uk or press@childreninscotland.org.uk