In supermarkets, e-cigarette displays are becoming more common, which may tempt kids to start smoking.
According to a survey, young people are less likely than in the past to see tobacco cigarettes when out shopping.
However, a survey of 11 to 18-year-olds revealed that two-thirds of those who acknowledged vaping had seen e-cigarettes on sale at the grocery store the previous year.
This is an increase from the roughly 57% that did so in 2018.
A study led by Dr. Anthony Laverty from Imperial College London examined data from a poll of almost 2,400 young people that was performed by the anti-tobacco organisation Action on Smoking and Health.
Dr. Laverty stated: “We are concerned that the emergence of low-cost, vividly coloured single-use vapes may contribute to the explanation of why more young people are noticing supermarket displays.
Evidence suggests that young people are more likely to start vaping when items are on display, which emphasises the urgency of taking steps to keep vapes out of children’s sight and reach.
A little over 51% of vapers between the ages of 11 and 18 purchased their electronic cigarettes from small businesses, according to the study.
That increased from only about 34% in 2019.
Small businesses in the area included garages, vape shops, and newsstands. Researchers are worried that minors under the age of 18 may be able to purchase the goods illegally from some small merchants even though the poll included adults who can legally purchase e-cigarettes. The Daily Mail has drawn attention to the problem of illegal, highly popular with kids, super-strength vapes.
Even though e-cigarettes are more safer than smoking, evidence has connected them to blood vessel alterations and lung difficulties.
Many medical professionals believe that vaping can help smokers who are attempting to quit, but they are worried about young people developing a dependence on nicotine-containing goods.
The study, which also examined the accessibility of tobacco to young people, was supported by Cancer Research UK and published in the journal Tobacco Control.
To quantify the effect of the expanding vape advertising on children, according to Hazel Cheeseman of Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), is essential to determining the scope of the issue and the most effective course of action.
“This analysis shows that instore promotion has the biggest impact, which is why ASH is advocating that promotion and display of e-cigarettes in retail establishments should be prohibited, as well as should the child-friendly packaging and labelling of vapes.”
‘In 2021, the UK Government rejected amendments to the Health and Social Care Bill that would have given it authority to prohibit types of e-cigarette marketing that encourage young usage,’ said Professor Nicholas Hopkinson, co-author of the paper from Imperial.
Since then, youth vaping has significantly increased.
The Government needs to act now to deal with this.
Currently, anything that is particularly likely to appeal to people under the age of 18 is prohibited from appearing in advertisements for e-cigarettes and the parts that make them up.
This covers fictional or well-known figures in their lives.
The UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) director general, John Dunne, stated: “Shop patrons are more likely to notice vapes for sale than cigarettes because they are visible on the “shop floor” and not only available for purchase behind the counter.
While it’s important to keep kids away from vapes, which is why it’s against the law for merchants to sell to anyone under the age of 18, accessibility to vapes is essential for enticing adult smokers to switch.
Meanwhile, “we have repeatedly urged the Government to adopt packaging and branding guidelines established by the UKVIA, which are intended to ensure products do not appeal to minors, and to impose on-the-spot fines of up to £10,000 on retailers who are found selling to minors.”
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