Hertfordshire councillor calls for vapes to be sold in same way as tobacco products

LEADING county councillor Morris Bright is to call on the government to re-consider how vapes are sold.

Currently cigarettes and other tobacco products have to be sold in plain packaging – and displays are hidden from view.

But there are no such legal constraints on the sale of vapes – which can be displayed, can be brightly packaged and come in a wide range of flavours.

Initially designed as an aid to stop smoking, there have been mounting concerns around how attractive vapes can be to children and young people.

And Cllr Bright has now told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that he intends to raise the issue with the Secretary of State for Health, Steve Barclay.

Cllr Bright – who is executive member for community safety and public health – stresses that he is not against vaping as a means for people to stop smoking.

But he points to the impact of the’fun’ and ‘gawdy’ packaging on young people, who he suggests may then think vaping ‘looks fun’ and ask ‘why dont’t I try this out?’.

Fearing that this could lead to a new habit, which he would want to discourage, he says he believes they should be hidden from view in shops and sold in plain packaging.

And he says he will now raise the issue with Health Secretary Steve Barclay, in order to see exactly where government thinking is on this.

“My concern is that they look fun and they look gaudy and they are on display inside many shops that children go in to,” he told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

“Rather than saying these are something to help [people] come off smoking, children may be thinking ‘this is fun’ and ‘why don’t I try this out?’.

“I think vapes should be treated in the same way as cigarettes.

“I would like to raise the matter with he Health Secretary and see where government thinking is on this.”

Cllr Bright made the remarks to the Local Democratic Reporting Service following a presentation on the Hertfordshire Tobacco Control Strategy 2023-28 to a meeting of the county council’s public health and community safety cabinet panel on Friday (June 30).

That strategy notes that in England smoking has reduced to 13 per cent overall – and is slightly lower in Hertfordshire, at 11.5 per cent..

But, it notes that smoking levels are as higher amongst some groups – including those in ‘routine and manual populations’, those with severe mental illness and with drug use.

And it aims to reduce smoking prevalence and the health inequalities associated with tobacco – as well as raising the profile of the harm caused in Hertfordshire.

According to data in the strategy the percentage of children vaping is increasing nationally – from four per cent in 2020 to seven per cent in 2022.

And the number of children, it says, admitting to trying vaping has increased from 14 to 16 per cent over the same time period.

At the meeting Liberal Democrat Cllr John Hale also raised concerns about the possible long term impact of vaping – and particular concerns about children vaping.

“It is becoming a problem,” he said.

“I know that the headteachers at both the secondary schools in my division are very concerned about vaping by students in their schools.

“They are concerned that pupils start-off with a disposable non-nicotine containing vapes – and then migrate to a nicotine containing device when they hit 18, which they can do legally.”

Cllr Hale also highlighted the risks of vaping young people then considering cigarettes as an alternative.

And he said: “I think we need to be considering also the risk of pupils going the other way and saying, ‘oh, I quite like nicotine, I wonder what cigarettes are like?’