Curb vape sales to children due to potential risks, experts say

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “So we strongly discourage anyone who has never smoked from taking up vaping or smoking.” Helping people switch from smoking to vaping should be considered a priority if the Government is to achieve a smoke-free 2030 in England Dr Debbie Robson, King's College When it comes to selling vapes to under-18s, the study said local authority trading standards efforts “have been scaled down and compliance with regulations is not enough to prevent underage sales and access to illicit products.” It added that “more frequent surveillance of single-use disposable vaping products”, which are popular with children, is now needed. With Stoptober just starting, it’s important that smokers are aware that the evidence is clear that vaping poses a small fraction of the risk of smoking Deborah Arnott, ASH She added: “Helping people switch from smoking to vaping should be considered a priority if the Government is to achieve a smoke-free 2030 in England.” Dr Jeanelle DeGruchy, deputy chief medical officer for England, said: “Every minute someone is admitted to hospital in England due to smoking. The King’s researchers said a previous Public Health England claim that vaping is at least 95% less harmful than smoking is “broadly right” over the short to medium term, but longer term studies are needed. Lion Shahab, a professor of health psychology and co-director of the Tobacco and Alcohol Research Group, at University College London, said of the work: “We should ensure that adult smokers get the right support, which includes provision of accurate information about the reduced risk of vaping and how it can help them stop smoking, while also offering educational material to young people who would have never smoked, to discourage them from starting to vape, in addition to better reinforcement of age of sale and advertising restrictions.