Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to tackle (a) underage vaping of illegal substances and (b) the sale and purchase of vape products by children.

The Government is concerned about the recent rises in youth vaping, particularly because of the unknown long-term harms. We have recently outlined bold action to crack down on youth vaping. In April, we announced £3 million of funding for a new illicit vaping enforcement squad to tackle illicit and underage vape sales. At the end of May, the Prime Minister announced further action, including closing a loophole that allows the vape industry to give free samples of vapes to children, further education measures in schools, and a commitment to review the rules on selling nicotine-free vapes to under 18 year olds and in issuing on-the-spot fines.

The Government also recently ran a call for evidence on youth vaping to identify steps to go further. This closed on the 6 June 2023 and we will respond later this year.