During his keynote speech at the Conservative Party Conference 2023 in Manchester, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak promised to bring forward measures to restrict the availability of vapes for our children and create the first smokefree generation by making sure children turning 14 this year or younger can never buy cigarettes.
This was welcome news to Dr Neil Hudson MP who is one of Parliament’s foremost voices in protecting young people from the epidemic of youth vaping and helping reduce the massive burden that smoking has on people’s health and on the NHS.
One of the first MPs to highlight the issue of youth vaping in Parliament, he has since secured and led a debate on under-18s vaping, tabled parliamentary questions, written op-eds in national publications and met with charities, local parents and schools, and advertising authorities to discuss the alarming rise in youth vaping.
- See Dr Hudson secure and lead a parliamentary debate on the frightening rise of vaping among under-18s here.
- Watch Dr Hudson urge faster action on youth vaping during cross-party debate here.
- Watch Dr Hudson first sound the alarm in Parliament on the dangers of youth vaping here.
The Prime Minister clearly listened and has committed to consider new regulations to reduce the appeal and availability of vapes to children–while ensuring that vapes remain available for adult smokers to quit.
This consultation will include looking at flavours, packaging displays, point of sale displays, and disposable vapes – all of which have been highlighted by Dr Hudson in Parliament and in private meetings.
The Government is backing this up with stronger enforcement activity to fine rogue retailers, track down illicit vaping products and enhance age verification for online sales.
Dr Neil Hudson MP, said:
“Vaping addictions are one of the most grim challenges facing our children in the modern age and I have worked tirelessly in Parliament highlighting the issue. I have raised this issue with the Prime Minister on a number of occasions.”
“From having to wake up in the night to stave off withdrawal symptoms to not being able to sit through lessons and exams, I’ve heard of the horrible impact vaping can have young people’s health, education, and wellbeing. That is not to mention the wider implications for animals and the environment.
“I am therefore delighted that the Prime Minister has again listened to me and other Conservative Colleagues and is bringing forward new measures to clamp down on youth vaping – again proving his commitment to holistic, practical, evidence-based decision making.
On top of this, as someone who firmly believes in the importance of preventative medicine, I don't think anyone wants their loved ones to damage their health so it's only right to make sure children turning 14 this year can't start the journey to smoking and we also help current smokers to quit.”
The Prime Minister also announced he is building a better future for the nation's children by tackling the number one biggest preventable cause of ill-health - smoking. In doing this he is creating the first smokefree generation by making sure children turning 14 or below can never take up smoking.
This will mean effectively raising the age of sale by one year each year for this generation (born on or after 1 January 2009) to prevent them and future generations from ever taking up smoking in the first place, as there is no safe age to smoke. This will not criminalise smoking nor will it mean anyone who can buy cigarettes now will be prevented from doing so in the future. This will implement the recommendation from the independent Review into smoking last year.
With more than 80% of smokers starting before the age of 20, action targeted at young people, is precisely the right approach to protect the nation's health and ease the burden on the NHS and British taxpayers.
Causing 64,000 deaths a year and costing the nation £17 billion a year; the impact of smoking on the population is profound. As such, Government is more than doubling funding for local stop smoke services to £140 million.
