PM's underage vaping crackdown given lukewarm reception by campaigners and opposition

Now, the Government has said it will close a loophole allowing retailers to give free samples of vapes to children in England, amid concerns over the proportion of children trying e-cigarettes, which continues to grow.

Further, the Government says it will crack down on “unacceptable” targeted marketing towards children and young people.

There will also be a review into banning retailers selling nicotine-free vapes to under-18s. The inquiry will also look into enforcement, giving more powers to local trading standards officers and potentially the flexibility to offer on-the-spot fines.

Policymakers are however keen to ensure vaping remains a viable alternative to smokers looking to kick the habit, with evidence showing e-cigarettes are significantly less hazardous than their tobacco counterparts.

While vaping has grown significantly in prominence in recent years across most age groups, the use of tobacco has continued to fall steadily.

But the measures received a lukewarm response from both the opposition and campaigners, with Labour saying the measures amounted to “baby steps”, and campaign groups saying far more disruptive policy is required.

Wes Streeting, Labour’s shadow health secretary, said: “We have to act now to stop a new generation of kids getting hooked on nicotine,” the Labour MP said.

“But the Conservatives voted down Labour’s plan to ban the marketing of vapes to children.

“The next Labour government will come down like a tonne of bricks on those pushing vapes to kids.”

Speaking on a visit to a laboratory in Kent Yesterday, the Prime Minister said: “They shouldn’t be deliberately targeting children, that’s illegal. If we need to take further action to do that, that’s what we will do.”

Referring to his daughters, who are 10 and 12, the PM also said he was “first and foremost a parent and a dad of two young girls”, adding: “I do think it’s something that we should look at.”