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Millions of illegal vapes seized in UK in three years, data shows
Millions of illegal and potentially harmful vapes have been seized by trading standards in the last three years, data shows, with experts warning this is the “tip of the iceberg” and a “tsunami” of products is flooding into the UK.
Freedom of information requests to 125 local authorities revealed that more than two and a half million illicit e-cigarettes were collected since the beginning of 2020.
Figures show that 1,352,063 were seized by trading standards at Hillingdon borough council in west London alone. The council area includes Heathrow airport, where thousands of unlawful vapes are arriving.
Kate Pike, the lead officer at the Chartered Trading Standards Institute, warned that the figures are likely to be the “tip of the iceberg” in terms of how many non-compliant vapes are being sold in UK shops.
There is rising concern over youth vaping in Britain, with the latest survey by Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) showing a rise in recent years. In 2022, 7% of 11- to 17-year-olds surveyed said they used vapes, compared with 3.3% in 2021.
Pike said that illegal vapes often did not have the right warnings or information on their packaging. “We know that legal compliant vapes pose a fraction of the risk of smoking but we do not know what the risk is from illegal vapes,” she said.
Data shows that 28 councils spent £9,000 testing vape products over the last three years. Earlier in the year, the government announced an “illicit vapes enforcement squad”, led by trading standards. Ministers said it would be backed by £3m in funding and would conduct test purchases and remove banned products from shops and at borders.
The government has also launched a call for evidence to “identify opportunities to reduce the number of children accessing and using vapes”.
Source: The Guardian, 23 June 2023
See also: ASH resources on youth vaping
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Smokers and ex-smokers aged 55-74 to be offered free lung cancer screenings
Up to 9,000 cases of lung cancer could be caught sooner or prevented under a new screening programme set to be rolled out across the country.
The scheme could provide almost one million scans and earlier treatment.
It is set to cost £270m annually once fully established and will use patients' GP records for those aged 55 to 74 to identify current or former smokers.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak suggests the scheme could provide "a lifeline to thousands of families across the country".
It is estimated the rollout will mean 325,000 people will be newly eligible for a first scan each year, with 992,000 scans expected per year in total.
The Department of Health and Social Care said the first phase of the scheme will reach 40% of the eligible population by March 2025, with the aim of 100% coverage by March 2030 following the rollout.
The rollout comes after a successful earlier phase which saw approximately 70% of the screenings take place in mobile units parked in convenient sites such as supermarket car parks.
This helped ensure easy access and focused on more deprived areas, where people are four times more likely to smoke.
Smoking causes 72% of lung cancers, around 35,000 people die and 48,000 people are diagnosed with lung cancer each year.
It has one of the lowest survival rates of all cancers, which is largely attributed to lung cancer being diagnosed at a late stage when treatment is much less likely to be effective.
Hazel Cheeseman, the deputy chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health, said: "Targeted lung cancer screening with support to stop smoking at its heart will help prevent as well as treat lung cancer, still the leading cause of cancer deaths."
Source: Sky News, 26 June 2023
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Opinion: It took years to learn the deadly lessons of cigarettes. We can’t wait so long for vaping
Writing in The Guardian, Sonia Sodha, an Observer columnist, discusses the importance of regulating e-cigarettes and disposable vapes, and the misinformation around smoking and vaping.
Sodha points out the complexity of regulating vaping as unlike cigarettes and alcohol where it is unanimously agreed that a fall in consumption of these two substances is a positive step. National health experts argue that those who smoke tobacco greatly benefit by switching to vaping due to e-cigarettes being significantly less harmful to health than tobacco, which Sodha states “is the most lethal consumer product known to man”.
Sodha also draws attention to the growing evidence that nicotine-based vapes are “more effective in helping people give up smoking than traditional nicotine-based replacement therapy.”
Sodha states that despite it being illegal to sell vapes to under 18s, it is still easy for children to purchase vapes in store and illicit vapes may contain unverified, harmful substances. Sodha also highlights that children benefit from “adult smokers switching to vaping” exposure to secondhand smoke from adults smoking around them results in around 5000 hospitalisations a year.
Sodha writes that there are worrisome misconceptions around vaping, with a third of people wrongly believing that “vapes are as dangerous as cigarettes”. She states that the regulations need to “enable adult smokers who want to give up to access vapes, while discouraging everyone else from taking it up and preventing children from getting hold of vapes altogether.”
Sodha concludes by calling for measures to tackle the popularity of cheap, disposable vapes among children and criticises the Government for being so slow to take action on youth vaping.
Source: The Guardian, 25 June 2023
See also: ASH fact sheet on youth vaping
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UK vaping industry called to account following rise in use among children
On Wednesday 28 June 2023 at 10.05am, representatives of the UK vaping industry will appear before the Health and Social Care Committee following a rise in the use of e-cigarettes by children and young people. The session will also be joined by representatives from ASH and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health.
The Chair of the Health and Social Care Committee Steve Brine said:
“While vaping has benefits for those who want to give up cigarettes, this committee is particularly concerned at the marketing practices of the vaping industry with products that appeal to children under 18 with use of flavours and bright colours.
“We’re calling in representatives of the vaping industry to question them about the rise in youth vaping and who is responsible for it. Brands that are popular with children can cost less than £3 for a disposable, a pocket money price.
“We’ll also be considering measures that the government is proposing to reduce the rise in vaping among under 18s and how effective they might be.”
The session will examine options to restrict access to vapes such as banning or limiting products that appeal through flavours or bright colours and the use of marketing practices which attract children and young people. Better enforcement of restrictions on sales to under 18s and pricing increases are also likely to be considered.
Witnesses
At 10:05am
Deborah Arnott, Chief Executive, Action on Smoking & Health
Dr Helen Stewart, Officer for Child Protection, Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
Laranya Caslin, Principal, St George’s Academy, Sleaford
At 10.45pm
John Dunne, Director General, UK Vaping Industry Association
Marcus Saxton, Chairman, Independent British Vape Trade Association
Source: UK Parliament, 23 June 2023
See also: ASH response to government announcement on youth vaping
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ASH Daily News is a digest of published news on smoking-related topics. ASH is not responsible for the content of external websites. ASH does not necessarily endorse the material contained in this bulletin.
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