A UK-wide ban on disposable vapes has been announced, as part of plans to cut the number of children vaping.
Other measures including plainer packaging for vapes will also help target sales to children, the government says. Juice Or Smoke Juice
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Vaping is nowhere near as harmful as smoking cigarettes.
But health experts agree that anyone who doesn't smoke should not start vaping, particularly children.
Children's doctors say vaping may cause long-term damage to young people's lungs, hearts and brains.
The vapour inhaled contains a small amount of chemicals, including the addictive substance nicotine.
More research is needed to pin down exactly what the health effects are.
Another issue is that illegal vapes are widely available. These have been found to be much more likely to contain harmful chemicals or drugs, such as cannabis.
Campaigners also say disposable vapes are wasteful and that the materials and chemicals used to make them, including their lithium batteries, make them difficult to dispose of safely.
They can be recycled but only 17% of vapers do so. Five million disposable vapes are thrown away each week in the UK.
Health Secretary Victoria Atkins told the BBC she was confident the new bill would pass Parliament by the time of the general election, which is expected this year.
The ban would then come into force in early 2025.
Once the timing is confirmed, retailers will be given six months to make the changes.
The government also plans to clampdown on the marketing of all other vapes to children by:
It is already illegal to sell vapes to under-18s, but the government also plans to increase fines for retailers which do so.
Nearly 8% of 11-17 year olds vape, according to figures from an online survey of 2,000 children by health charity ASH (Action on Smoking and Health). That's up from 4% in 2020.
It said 20% have tried vaping, with cheap, brightly-coloured disposable vapes driving up the increase from 14% three years ago.
Older teenagers are more likely to have tried vaping or be current vapers.
Vaping is now twice as common as smoking among children.
Many countries have experienced a rise in vaping among children and young people.
In response,the US has banned some vape flavours like mint and fruit in particular e-cigarettes.
It also said it would ban products from Juul, one of the country's most popular vaping companies.
Australia has announced e-cigarettes will be available only on prescription, for smokers who want to give up tobacco.
In New Zealand, new rules were brought in last year to ban most disposable vapes and target flavours which appeal to children.
Many other countries, including South Korea, India and Brazil have announced very strict vape rules. Others, like China, have announced restrictions.
However, 88 countries have no minimum age for buying vapes and 74 have no laws in place for e-cigarettes, according to the World Health Organization.
Cigarettes contain tobacco, tar and a host of cancer-causing toxic chemicals and are the largest preventable cause of illness and death in the UK.
About half of all life-long smokers will die early, losing on average about 10 years of life.
That's why people who smoke are urged to stop, with nicotine vapes the most effective quit tool - better than nicotine patches and gums.
Recent research also suggests people having face-to-face support while using vapes can be up to twice as likely to succeed than those using other methods.
But vaping is not completely harmless, so it's only recommended for adult smokers.
They are offered free vape kits on the NHS to help them quit as part of it's "swap to stop" programme.
More than two million smokers and ex-smokers who use disposable vapes would be affected by a ban, according to research by UCL.
Thousands of people have given up smoking using vaping as an alternative.
Fewer people in the UK are smoking than ever before - around 13%.
Disposable vapes to be banned for child health
Five million vapes thrown away every week - research
Ban disposable vapes to protect children - doctors
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