Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of using technology within vapes to verify the age of vape users.

It is concerning that youth vaping has more than doubled in the last five years and that one in four children aged between 11 and 15 years old tried vaping in 2023. That is why we are committed to bringing about definitive and positive change to stop future generations from becoming hooked on nicotine. To do this, we are acting to reduce the appeal, availability, and accessibility of these products to children whilst not impacting on their use as a quit aid for adult smokers.

The Government’s policy, as set out in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, is that all products are age verified at the point of sale rather than the point of use.

We are examining the role of certain technology in vapes as part of our secondary legislation programme, and we are currently running a call for evidence on vapes which explores this area, and which we would encourage stakeholders to respond to. In addition, next year we will run a consultation on introducing smoke-free and vape-free places, restrictions on vape packaging, and on changing how and where vapes are displayed in shops.