Kent County Council cracks down on illegal teenage vaping laws

In an attempt to protect young people’s health, the local authority has urged businesses and residents to report illegal vapes and under-age sales to trading standard officers.

In 2022, public health charity Ash reported 7% of 11–17-year-olds had started vaping, compared to 3.3% of the age group in 2021. The growing number of underage teenagers who have begun using e-cigarettes has cast serious concerns amongst members of Kent County Council who fear it may lead to more young people smoking cigarettes.

In a bid to protect young people’s health, the council said removing dangerous products from market would lead to fewer young lives being put at risk.

According to research from Michael Joseph Blaha, Professor of Medicine at Johns Hopkins University, emerging data suggests vaping can contribute to chronic lung disease and asthma. Additionally, when combined with smoking, vaping can cause major heart problems.  

Professor Blaha notes that experts are still unsure about the ingredients in an e-cigarette, meaning children and young people are exposing themselves to all kinds of chemicals professionals do not yet understand.

Vaping products, containing nicotine are required by law to carry a warning label on the box, and in 2015, legislation was introduced to ban the sales of vaping products to people under the age of 18.

However, the Local Government Association (LGA) wants new measures to regulate the display and marketing of vaping products in the same way as tobacco.

England’s Chief Medical Officer, Professor Chris Whitty, said some products are intended to appeal to younger people through their display of bright colours and the UK should be doing all they can to reduce vaping among children.

A spokesperson from Kent County Council told the BBC: ‘We are concerned at the growing popularity of vaping among young people and how it might lead to them taking up smoking cigarettes. Vapes are not a risk-free alternative.’

In addition to Kent County Council trying to reduce the number of children who have began vaping, last month Dr Caroline Johnson, MP for the Sleaford and North Hykenham constituency, wanted to introduce a bill into parliament to prohibit the sale of vapes to young children after NHS figures revealed one in five of 15-year-olds consider themselves to be an e-cigarette user.

Photo by Sebastian Radu