Concerns over 'utterly unacceptable' marketing of vapes to young people in Sunderland

Health chiefs in Sunderland have stressed marketing vapes to children is “utterly unacceptable” following concerns around the rising numbers of young people using the devices.

Worries had been raised by councillors on Sunderland City Council around the prevalence of vaping among young people and e-cigarette flavours and packaging being targeted at the age group.

Gerry Taylor, director of public health for Sunderland City Council, said vaping is “much safer” than smoking and they support people who wish to give up smoking using the devices to help do so.

However she stressed it was “not a good thing” for people who do not smoke to start vaping and is “certainly not a good thing for children to be taking up”.

The comments came after the concerns were raised by councillors over rising numbers of young people vaping, including at school, at the latest meeting of the authority’s health and wellbeing scrutiny committee on Tuesday, October 3.

The director of public health quoted national guidance which stressed “marketing vapes to children is utterly unacceptable.”

Ms Taylor added: “The approach from a public health perspective is very much vaping is much safer than smoking tobacco, so we would support people who wish to give up smoking in using vapes, that’s a good thing.

“We just don’t want children taking up vaping or people taking up vaping if they’ve never smoked.

“The number of people vaping is obviously increasing and we know that some young people have taken up vaping. The majority of young people haven’t tried vaping, but then the numbers obviously are increasing.”

She added councillors were due to receive a briefing providing information about what to inform the public around e-cigarettes, work taking place with schools and the gathering of local intelligence.

The meeting also heard health chiefs are looking to collect new data to provide a better estimate of the numbers of people vaping, along with research over the long term effects of using the devices.

Nationally the Government has launched a public consultation seeking views on plans to crack down on youth vaping by reducing the appeal, affordability and availability of vapes to children.

It is open to anyone, of any age, in the UK and includes proposals to restrict child-friendly flavours and bright coloured packaging.

People have eight weeks to share their experiences and opinions to help shape the future policy on vaping, and they can visit https://consultations.dhsc.gov.uk/en/65201ed1f3410a69990d3081 to do so.