Content

RESOLVED that
–
 
THIS COUNCIL
NOTES:
1.       
In the past three years, vaping among adolescents has tripled.
Action on Smoking Health (ASH) data shows that 20.5% of 11-17 year
olds have vaped in 2023, compared with 8.6% in 2022, and 4% in
2021.
 
 
2.       
Recent Chartered Trading Standards Institute research found that
60% of local trading standards services report high street shops
selling vapes or vaping products to children. Trading standards
teams reported a significant rise in underage vape sales last year,
with more than a fifth of youngsters buying vaping products from
newsagents while 16.3% buying them from a supermarket.
 
 
3.       
The LGA has called on its members to step up enforcement to deal
with growing numbers of shops selling vapes to children despite the
18 age limit, with many “especially concerned” by
child-friendly marketing, including colourful packages.
 
THIS COUNCIL
BELIEVES:
1.        
The effects of e-cigarettes and vaping are still not yet fully
understood - which is especially important in the context of young
people, as their lungs are still developing.
 
 
2.        
There is growing evidence that e-cigarettes can help people manage
their nicotine cravings – but this isn’t without
risk.
 
 
3.        
While research has shown vaping poses a small fraction of the risks
of smoking, it is deeply worrying that more and more children
– who have never smoked – are starting vaping.
 
THEREFORE THIS
COUNCIL RESOLVES THAT:
 
1.       
The council to write to the Secretary of State to call for the
Tobacco and Vapes Bill to be published, joining the call from other
councils for the government to do so.
 
2.       
That work be undertaken to introduce a Healthy Advertising Policy
which will look to restrict the advertising of products not
conducive to health (e.g. High sugar/Fat foods, vapes, Gambling
etc) and for this to be reported back to the relevant Committee for
approval.