England to Ban Vaping Near Schools, Hospitals

Ministers in England reportedly plan to ban vaping in playgrounds, hospital grounds, and near schools in an attempt to prevent children from taking up the habit. Health Secretary Wes Streeting is considering restricting the use of e-cigarettes outdoors in England, with the support of Chris Whitty, the country’s chief medical officer.

The government will include vaping restrictions in the forthcoming tobacco and vapes bill, which they will present to parliament in the coming weeks. Whitty has argued for including pub gardens in the ban, but no final decision has been made, according to the Times. However, ministers are not expected to include outdoor hospitality in the ban after the backlash in August over proposals to ban smoking in pub gardens to reduce preventable deaths linked to tobacco use.

Alarming Increase in Vaping Among Never-Smokers

A recent study published in the Lancet Public Health journal found that one million people in England now vape despite having never been regular smokers previously, a seven-fold increase in just three years. Rates of e-cigarette use among adults who had never regularly smoked were stable until 2021, when one in 200 (about 133,000 people) were vapers. However, the proportion increased sharply to one in 28 (1,006,000 people) in 2024.

Separate figures from the Office for National Statistics showed that 5.1 million people aged 16 or over in Britain (about one in 10) use e-cigarettes. Vaping rates were highest among those aged 16 to 24, at 15.8%.

Also Read:
Study Reveals One Million Never-Smokers in England Now Vape, Prompting Calls for Stricter Regulation

Health Experts Call for Urgent Action

Prof Nick Hopkinson, a respiratory physician and chair of Action on Smoking and Health, acknowledged that while vaping has helped millions of adults quit smoking and is less harmful than smoking, it is not risk-free. He expressed concern over the high levels of use among young people and the growing use among never-smokers.

Prof Sanjay Agrawal, the Royal College of Physicians’ special adviser on tobacco, called for “urgent action” to tackle the rise in vaping among young people and those who had never smoked. He emphasized the importance of ensuring that e-cigarette use does not create new public health risks, particularly among children.

A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care declined to comment on the leaked information but stated that while vapes can be an effective tool to help adult smokers quit, children should never vape. They added that the tobacco and vapes bill will bring about definitive and positive change to stop future generations from becoming hooked on nicotine and prevent vapes and other nicotine products from being deliberately branded to target children.

News source: Vaping ‘to be banned outside schools and hospitals’ in England

Author
Recent Posts

Matthew Ma

Marketing at Ecigator

With over a decade of experience in the e-cigarette industry, Matthew Ma is a seasoned expert in both the manufacturing and usage aspects of vaping products. His extensive background has provided him with a deep understanding of the intricacies and evolving dynamics of e-cigarettes.