Ministers launch crackdown on vapes targeting kids

• Plans to keep vapes out of sight in shops, airports andshops wholesalers and airports
• Plain packagingPlain packaging for all tobacco products, including cigars and cigarette papers papers

Plans toPlans to stop vapes being marketed to children have been unveiled today (10 July) asJuly 2026) as part of a UK-wide consultation to introduceUK-wide consultation to introduce plain packaging,packaging and restrictions on flavour description rules andrules, keepingand keep vapes out of sight in shops.   shops.

Action on Smoking and Health (ASH)(ASH) reportreports that around one million 11-1711 to 17 year olds in Great Britain reported trying vaping in 2025. Evidence suggests that colourful packaging, prominent retail displays andretail displays and child-appealing flavours are among the factors driving youngdriving young people to take it up.    up.

The UKThe UK government and the devolved governments have launched a consultation that includes proposals toa consultation that includes proposals to reduce the appeal of vapes toof vapes to young children, including whitechildren, including white packaging with restrictionswith restrictions on text colour, imagery, branding and standardised productimagery information.  and branding, as well as standardised product information.

There will also be restrictions on flavouron flavour names to simple- to simple recognisable descriptions and vapedescriptions - and vape devices - to be white, black orwhite, grey.   black or grey.

Secretary of State for Health and Social CareCare, James MurrayMurray, said:   said:

The evidence is clear: there are too many young people experimenting with vapes, attracted by the array of flavours, bright colours andbright colours and marketing displays.  

We want a healthier future for the next generation, so we must act now to reduce the appeal of addictive vapes to our children.   

Vapes areVapes are less harmful than cigarettes and canand can play an important role in helping adult smokers to quit,smokers to quit, but they should never be designed or marketed in ways that tempt children. These proposals are about striking the right balance andright balance and I urge everyone to have their say.  say.

Standardised packaging has helped reduce the appeal of smoking since its introduction for cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco in 2017.   2017.

The consultation proposes toThe consultation proposes to extend these requirements for all tobacco products, including cigars and cigarette papers.   papers.

Further proposals includeFurther introducing positiveproposals quitinclude themed inserts directingintroducing smokers to resourcespositive quit-themed inserts directing smokers to quit and healthresources to quit and health warnings for allfor all tobacco products, as well as removing displaysas removing displays for tobacco products in duty-freein duty-free settings and airports.  airports.

The consultation follows the passage of the Tobacco and Vapes Act, which received Royal Assent on 29 April 2026, 2026 and sets out proposals to createto create the UK’s first smoke-free generation, protecting childrengeneration, protecting children from nicotine addiction, whileaddiction while ensuring adult smokers can still accessadult smokers can still access vaping products to help them quit.  quit.

There is also growing awareness and use among young people of other nicotine products, including nicotine pouches, which are covered by several of the proposed measures.  measures.

Scotland Public Health MinisterMinister, Maree ToddTodd, said:

Scotland has been a world-leaderworld leader on a range of tobacco control measures, and while there has been a steady reduction in smoking rates, we know it still damages lives and kills more than 7,000 people a year in Scotland.

The use of vapes has increased in recent years, particularly among children and young people –- with almost one1 in five5 children saying they have tried vaping.

We know that colourful packaging and displays are used as an enticement to children and young people, which is why we are taking action and consulting on options to address this issue. We urge everyone to have their say on how these products are marketed and sold in the future to help protect children and young people and reduce preventable harm in Scotland.

Northern Ireland Health MinisterMinister, Mike NesbittNesbitt, said:

The rise in vaping amongstamong children and young people concerns me. Restricting the visibility of these products will lessen their appeal, which in turn will reduce youth vaping and prevent future generations from nicotine addiction.

I consider it vital that we get the views from the public on the future of displaying and packaging of these products. I would encourage everyone to take the time to respond to this consultation.

Wales Deputy Minister for Preventative and Public HealthHealth, Nerys EvansEvans, said:

Vapes are being deliberately designed and marketed to appeal to children - with bright colours, cartoon branding and sweet-sounding flavour names that have no place in products containing addictive nicotine.

It is simply unacceptable and I would encourage urge everyone to support our efforts to protect children’s health.

Professor Steve Turner, President of Thethe Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH)(RCPCH), said:    

Any measures that improve child health are welcome and much needed. As paediatricians, we are deeply concerned by the insidious marketing practices used by tobacco and vaping companies to target our futuretarget generations.    our future generations.   

For those of us working with children every day, itday, it is clear that only strongonly strong and meaningful regulation will protect them fromthem from the harms associated with nicotine addiction. We welcome this consultation as anas an important step towardsstep towards creating a healthier future for children and young people. people.

Hazel Cheeseman, ChiefHazel Executive ofCheeseman, ASH, said: Chief Executive of ASH, said:

Protecting children from harmful vape marketing is the right thing to do. Attractive, colourful branding and images have driven the appeal of vapes to children leading to an increase in use. At the same time there is a careful balance to strike with regulations. While vapes are not harm free, they are significantly less harmful than smokingsmoking, and vapes have helped millions of people successfully stop smoking in recent years.  years.

The task now is to thread the needle of making vaping less appealing to children without making it less effective for adults who want to quit smoking. Get that balance wrong, and we risk slowing progress against smoking, the leading cause of preventable death. death.

The consultation seeks views on proposals for vapes and nicotine products including:   including:

• Introducingintroducing plain white packaging with restrictionswith restrictions on text colour, imagery, limited branding andlimited branding and standardised safety information   information
• Restrictingrestricting flavour names to only simple recognisable descriptions (e.g.(such “Apple”),as ‘apple’), banning concept and sensory names as well as names relating to confectionery, sweets, desserts andsweets, alcohol    desserts and alcohol
• Mandating manufacturersmandating manufacturers of vape devices to make them white, black orwhite, black or grey, with no images, limited branding, no cosmetic lights andcosmetic lights and screens only displaying safety information (e.g.(for example, battery level)   level)
• Restrictrestrict shop displays in the same way as tobacco products. products

Further measures in the proposals for tobacco products include:   products include:

• Extending existingextending existing plain packaging requirements and healthand warnings forhealth cigarettes acrosswarnings for cigarettes across all tobacco products, herbal smoking products, cigarette papers and heated tobaccoproducts, devices. cigarette papers and heated tobacco devices
• Introducing positive quit-supportintroducing positive quit-support messages inside allinside all tobacco products, including cigarettes, hand-rolling tobacco, herbalincluding smoking products and heatedcigarettes, hand-rolling tobacco, herbal smoking products and heated tobacco devices devices
• Extending existingextending existing tobacco display restrictions to all tobaccotobacco-related related products, cigarette papers,papers and herbal smoking products   products
• Removing anremoving an existing display exemption for bulk tobacconists, including duty-free shops andtobacconists, including duty-free shops and airports, meaning that tobacco products would be restricted from display in these settings    settings
• Restricting heatedrestricting heated tobacco devices to a drab brown colour the same as tobacco packaging, with no images, limited branding, no cosmetic lights andcosmetic lights and screens only displaying safety information (e.g.(for example, battery level)   level)

This consultation is part of wider action to tackle youth vaping. It follows a ban on single-use  vapes (1on single-use vapes (1 June 2025), and comes2025), aheadand ofcomes ahead of:

• the introduction of a Vaping Products Duty (1 October(1 2026),October 2026)
• future bans on the sale of vapes from vending machines and their free distribution (29 October 2026), and 2026)
• an end to the advertising and sponsorship of vapes (1 June 2027).
  2027)

CllrCouncillor Dr Wendy Taylor MBE, Chair of the Local Government Association’s Health and Wellbeing Committee, said: said:

Reducing the appeal of vapes to children with tighter controls on flavours, packaging and promotion, will be key to addressing the concerning rise in youth vaping. vaping.

There is no legitimate reason for nicotine products to come in neon packaging, feature cartoon images,images or use flavours and branding designed to catch a child’s eye. Products designed, packaged,packaged and promoted in ways that appeal to children have likelyhave contributed tolikely contributed to one in five 11-11 to 17-year-olds17 year-olds having now tried vaping. vaping.

Councils have long called for an end to vapes being dressed up like sweets and sold within arm’s reach of the pick and mix. This consultation is the moment to close the loopholes that have enabled these products that appeal to children to remain on sale.

Ailsa Rutter OBE, Director of Fresh and Balance, said:  said:

We welcome measures in the Tobacco and Vapes Act that support our vision of ending the death and disease caused by tobacco and preventing future generations from taking up lethal smoking.  smoking.

We support standardised packaging of all tobacco products. This would have the biggest impact if it is alongsideit is alongside public awareness campaigns on the harms of tobacco and benefits of quitting.  quitting.

We know that nicotine vapes are playing aplaying a very important roleimportant role in helping people quit smoking, but it is right that action is taken to reduce youth appeal. It is vital that regulations do not increase harm misconceptions about vaping compared with smoking, and that the impact of all these policies on health inequalities is closely monitored. closely monitored.

Dr Ian Walker, executiveExecutive directorDirector of policyPolicy and informationInformation of Cancer Research UK, said:

Evidence so far shows that legal vapes are far less harmful than tobacco, but we still don’t know their long-term impact, soimpact, it’s absolutelyso it’s absolutely right that the UK Governmentgovernment is taking steps to reduce the appeal and availability of vapes to young people and those who have never smoked.    smoked.

As vapes are an effective cessation tool, any new regulation must make sure they are still accessible to people trying to stop smoking. Tobacco remains theTobacco remains the biggest cause of cancer in the UK, so we’re alsoso we’re also pleased to see plans to extend plain packaging to all tobacco products, which is proven to help shield children from a deadly addiction.    addiction.

Thanks to the world-leading Tobacco and Vapes Act becoming law, a future free from the devastating harms of tobacco is firmly within reach. Governments across the UK must now ensure the Actact is implemented fully in every nation.

 AndrewAndrew McCracken, Director of External Affairs at Asthma + Lung UK, said:  said:

This is an important first step to reduce the appeal of vaping products to children and young people. The brazen marketing of vapes to children is reprehensible and needs to be stopped.  stopped.

We do not want to see anybody vaping, other than for smoking cessation. Vapes do play anplay an important role torole to smokers looking to quit, but if you don’t smoke don’t vape.  you don’t smoke, don’t vape.

 DrDr Charmaine Griffiths, Chief Executive at the British Heart Foundation (BHF), said: said:

Eye-catching branding, bright colours,colours and enticing names have no place on vaping products that should never be used by children. children.

Too many lives are still cut short by tobacco-related heart attacks and strokes, so the Governmentgovernment is right to look at ways of making tobacco and vaping products less attractive to young people. people.

Having already taken the historic step of stopping future generations from ever being legally sold cigarettes, the Governmentgovernment must now press ahead with confidence and urgency to create a smokefreesmoke-free generation sooner than any thought possible.

Alison Challenger, Policy Co-Lead for Addiction at the Association of Directors of Public Health, said: said:

We are pleased to see this consultation launched to support stronger restrictions on tobacco and vape product packaging. These products are designed to attract and keep our communities, and more worryingly our children and young people, hooked on these health-harming products, often through eye-catching marketing, youth-friendly messaging,messaging and strategic placement. placement.

That is why we need standardised, plain packaging, particularly across vapes, that strips away the branding and promotional design used to make these products enticing. Alongside this, we need to better support people to quit smoking and make the harms of tobacco clearer. clearer.

Only by reducing the appeal and accessibility of these products can we stop the harms of smoking and create a smoke-free future where everyone, especially our children and young people, have the freedom to live healthier lives.

Background  Background information

• This consultation is UK-wide. 

• UK-wide and runs for 12 weeks from launch.

  Proposed regulations in this consultation stem from powers within the Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026, which received Royal Assent on 29 April. 

• The consultation runs for 12 weeks from launch. 
• April.

  No immediate changes to law are being made at this stage. 

• stage. Regulations will be developed following analysis of consultation responses.   
• responses.

  Medicinally licensed nicotine products are exempt from these proposals and are subject to different legislation.     legislation.  

  Tobacco products include:

  • cigars
  • Tobacco products include: cigars, cigarillos, pipecigarillos
  • pipe tobacco, waterpipetobacco
  • waterpipe tobacco (e.g shisha), nasal(for example, shisha)
  • nasal tobacco (snuff), chewing(snuff)
  • chewing tobacco, heatedtobacco
  • heated tobacco, blunts. Cigarettestobacco
  • blunts

  Cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco are already covered by plain packaging legislation and willlegislation and will have pack inserts introduced inintroduced in due course. Thecourse. The consultation will cover all tobacco products, meaning it is futureproofed for any tobacco new product that is developed. 

• developed.

  Proposed plain packaging legislation inlegislation in line with existing cigarette packaging ispackaging is for all tobaccoall tobacco products, herbal smoking products, heated tobacco devices &and cigarette papers.  

• papers.

  Proposed quit-themed pack inserts for allfor all tobacco products, herbal smoking products andsmoking products and heated tobacco devices but not cigarette papers due to their small size. 

size.