Dr Neil Hudson MP has continued his campaign to better protect the nation’s young people from the scourge of vaping with interventions during a dedicated parliamentary debate.
Tragically recent years have seen a marked increase in under-18s using vaping products with ASH (Action on Smoking and Health) figures showing the number of 11-17-year-olds currently vaping doubled between 2021 and 2022. This figure is only increasing with damaging consequences for children’s’ health, wellbeing and behaviour.
Dr Hudson has repeatedly called for further action on this issue, tabling parliamentary questions, writing op-eds in national publications and leading a parliamentary debate. He also recently met with the Advertising Standards Authority to discuss illegal advertising of nicotine products to children.
During the session Dr Hudson call for reduced access to vaping products for young people in a similar manner to how smoking products are hidden from sight in shops. In addition the veterinary MP shone a light on the environmental and animal health implications of disposable vapes which can cause fires due to their lithium batteries and injure animals if ingested.
Speaking afterwards, Dr Neil Hudson MP, said:
“Vaping is one of the biggest problems facing our young people. I’ve spoken time and again about nicotine addictions impacting children’s education, damaging their bodies and even their mental health. Vapes not only affect public health they also have environmental impacts and can have effects on animals, both domestic and wild.”
“It was really heartening to see so many representatives from across the political divide in the House all advocating for the same thing – protecting our children from the scourge of vaping.”
Dr Hudson’s contributions as recorded by Hansard:
Dr Neil Hudson, MP for Penrith and The Border, said:
“I am very grateful to the hon. Lady for giving way. My apologies, Mr Deputy Speaker, for arriving midway through the debate. I was speaking at the all-party parliamentary group on suicide and self-harm prevention.
“The hon. Lady is making an impassioned speech. On limiting access to young people, when adults go to the counter to buy tobacco products they are behind black and grey metal cabinets. They are not brightly coloured and so on. Would that not be a starting point? We could get vaping products hidden behind those black and Toggle showing location of metallic cupboards, so they are not, as my right hon. Friend the Member for Romsey and Southampton North (Caroline Nokes) said, all glossy and appealing at the checkout? Would that not be a starting point?”
Mary Glindon, MP for North Tyneside, replied:
“I do think it would. I also think vaping products are currently an attraction for shopkeepers to get people into their shops, especially young people—a bit like when alcopops were put on the front shelf. It is brilliant idea and one I hope the Minister will hear. I wish I had thought of it.”
Dr Neil Hudson, MP for Penrith and The Border, said:
“My hon. Friend is making a powerful speech articulating the risks of vapes in terms of the public health of our young people and the environmental concerns with their disposal, but we are also seeing increasing issues with animals. When I was out walking my young dog, Poppy, the other day, she went into the undergrowth and came out with a bright pink, melon-flavoured disposable vape. She was just about to crunch it and swallow it, when I took it out of her mouth. I shudder to think what would have happened if she had crunched and swallowed it, because it was a foreign body, containing a battery and toxic compounds. Does my hon. Friend agree with me that we just do not know the risks to people, the environment and animals?”
Peter Gibson, MP for Darlington, replied:
“As an expert on animals, my hon. Friend will be acutely aware of the risks to animals of ingesting a battery. We know there are concerns about the disposal of vaping products. He leads me to recall the campaign led by my hon. Friend the Member for Stoke-on-Trent Central (Jo Gideon) on button batteries; this debate highlights similar issues.”
