The Tobacco and Vapes Bill which will phase out the sale of tobacco products for those aged 15 or younger this year, is now in the committee stage of the House of Lords after it had its second reading there last month. The law will also bring in restrictions on vaping and introduce on the spot fines of £200 to retailers found to be selling tobacco, vape and nicotine products to people underage.
In the debate in the Lords there were some concerns that restricting flavours of vapes, that many agree are designed to appeal to younger people, could actually deter adults who needed to switch from smoking to vaping. There was general agreement that a balance needed to be struck between showing smokers that vaping was less risky and ensuring that non-smokers never chose to vape.
Meanwhile, the continuing challenge for schools tackling vaping among their students was recently highlighted in an investigation by ITV’s breakfast programme, Good Morning Britain , which found that between 2021 and 2024, there had been a 411% rise in the number of ambulance call-outs for incidents related to vaping with nearly a fifth of cases involved students being taken to hospital for further treatment. This follows a study last year by Bath University that found that an alarming number of vapes confiscated had been laced with spice that is a highly dangerous addictive drug, while THC vapes are also a concern among schools.
Tony McCabe, headteacher of St Joseph’s Roman Catholic High School in Bolton, which has installed HALO Smart Sensors supplied by us, was interviewed by GMB following its research. The school originally installed the sensors following an incident at the school in which a student collapsed after vaping. The school is now cutting the numbers of its pupils vaping by taking the approach of educating pupils and ensuring they are aware of the potential dangers of vaping.
Another of our customers, Silverdale School in Sheffield, admitted that they had expelled a pupil after they had been detected using THC vape. McCabe has said that the HALO Smart Sensors at St Joseph’s RC High School had also picked up the use of THC vapes. Both spice and THC are illegal in the UK. Illicit vapes that contain high levels of nicotine and other harmful materials are also a concern. The government has been increasing the level of funding to support the seizure of illegal vapes by Trading Standards bodies in the past two years and it has committed more money to train extra Trading Standards enforcement officers to help stop the sale of illicit vapes and enforcing age restrictions around vaping.
We will keep you informed about the process about the process of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill and can support schools and other settings tackle vaping by supplying the HALO Smart Sensor. To find out more contact us.