I welcome that the Tobacco and Vapes Act, which started under the Conservative Government in March 2024, and was reintroduced under the current Government, has become law.
I have been campaigning for measures to tackle teen vaping for some years, including through introducing my own Ten Minute Rule Bill on Disposable Electronic Cigarettes in 2023 with the aim of banning disposable vapes. I also met the former PM Rishi Sunak about my particular concerns including the design of vapes, particularly disposable vapes, which seemed appealing to children through their bright colours, attractive sweet flavours and popular prominence on social media sites such as TikTok.
I was therefore pleased when the Conservative Government announced the Tobacco and Vapes Bill in 2024, which included measures to tackle teen vaping, while ensuring vapes remained accessible for smokers wanting to quit, and provisions to create the first smokefree generation. Since the General Election, I have been scrutinising the Bill in Parliament, including as a member of the Bill Committee, as the Labour Government continued the work through this Parliament.
I welcomed the ban on disposable vapes and, now the Act has become law, I will be carefully monitoring the implementation of the legislation, as it gives powers to the Secretary of State to propose future regulations on the flavours of relevant products. It also includes the introduction of a licensing scheme for the retail sale of vaping products, as well as new powers for the Secretary of State to make regulations designating places or vehicles as vape-free.
