Rishi Sunak has criticized vaping companies that prey on children, warning that “bad things will happen to them.”
The Prime Minister lashed out at the marketing of e-cigarettes, saying they are ‘designed to appeal to children’.
Mr Sunak said it is ‘not right’ for colorful packaging, characters and flavors to be used to target children, in an interview with sky news’ children’s program FYI.
It’s because the latest figures show that nearly one in 10 high school students in England vape regularly, with rates doubling in the last decade.
Last month, a MailOnline survey revealed that vapes are sold alongside candy. This website’s probe also uncovered “dupe” e-cigarettes made to look like candy and told the stories of children left scarred by the devices.
Rishi Sunak slammed vaping companies preying on children as he warned ‘bad things will happen to them’
It comes after a MailOnline investigation exposed the predatory marketing tactics of vape firms selling the products alongside candy
MailOnline’s investigation also revealed ‘dupe’ e-cigarettes made to look like candy, and told the stories of children scarred by the devices
Mr Sunak told presenters Maya and Brandon: ‘Nobody under the age of 18 is allowed to vape. It is illegal to sell vaping to children.
‘But we still know that there are more and more young people. We want to stop that.’
He pointed to the “illegal vapes enforcement squad,” which the government announced this month, would be launched in the face of the rising number of young vapers.
The squads, led by Trading Standards, will work across the country and “crush” companies selling vapes to under-18s.
The Prime Minister said millions of pounds have been poured into vape teams to help them enforce the rules and warned of the consequences for those caught selling to children.
“If they do, bad things will happen to them,” said Mr. Sunak.
He also pleaded for help finding effective ways to prevent children from vaping. The government launched a call for evidence last week that aims to identify the ‘best ideas’ to tackle vaping among children.
Mr. Sunak said, “This is how the government makes policy. I don’t just wake up in the morning and announce something. We take the time to talk to people, listen, get ideas and then make the right decision.’
He added, “The ads for these things [vapes] are designed to appeal to kids, you know, with the colors they use, the characters they use — that’s not right — their tastes. These are all things that shouldn’t happen.’
Shock NHS data shows that nearly one in ten high school students are regular vapers, double the number in 2014.
And according to statistics, as many as 30 percent of under-18s in some regions have used the devices.
MailOnline’s investigation found sweet shops along London’s Oxford Street selling brightly colored e-cigarettes as well as sweets – which one leading pediatric expert described as ‘no coincidence’.
Professor Andrew Bush, from Imperial College London, said: ‘It is very clear that all these flavorings are being marketed to children.’
Our research also discovered “dupe” vapes that mimic Chupa Chups, Skittles, Jolly Rancher, Rubicon and Calypso, with nearly identical branding to the popular sweets and drinks in other shops along Oxford Street and online.
Professor Bush condemned the predatory duplications, saying “Anything that gives the impression that these are harmless, kid-friendly things is an outrageous attempt to prey on children and young people”.
And the doctor warned that the “acute harm” caused by vaping is “much greater than can be done with cigarettes.”
“Children have been in intensive care and people have died,” he said. “Fortunately it’s rare, but it happens.”
An example of this is Ewan Fisher, whose lungs gave out at the age of 16 from vaping.
The now 19-year-old, from Nottingham, was left with the ‘lungs of an 80-year-old lifelong smoker’, according to doctors, after just six months of vaping in an attempt to give up cigarettes.