London: The UK government has launched a nationwide consultation on a series of stricter measures aimed at preventing vaping products from being marketed to children, including plans for plain packaging, restrictions on flavour descriptions and tighter controls on how vapes are displayed in shops.
The proposals, announced by Health Secretary James Murray, are part of a wider effort to tackle the growing number of young people experimenting with vaping while preserving access to vaping products as a smoking cessation tool for adults.
Under the proposed regulations, vape packaging would be required to adopt a plain, standardized appearance with strict limits on branding, colours, imagery and promotional designs. Product names inspired by confectionery, sweets, desserts or alcoholic drinks would also be prohibited to reduce their appeal to children.
Health experts have argued that nicotine products should not feature neon colours, cartoon characters or child-friendly branding that could encourage young people to try vaping. The government said the measures are intended to make vaping products less attractive without affecting their availability for adult smokers seeking to quit cigarettes.
James Murray said evidence shows that an increasing number of young people are being drawn to vaping because of colourful packaging, attractive flavours and prominent retail displays. James Murray stressed that while vaping remains significantly less harmful than smoking and can help adult smokers quit, products should never be designed or marketed in ways that appeal to children.
The consultation will run for 100 days and follows the recent passage of the Tobacco and Vapes Act, which outlines the UK’s ambition to create its first smoke-free generation. The legislation introduces a phased ban on tobacco sales to anyone born on or after January 1, 2009, effectively preventing future generations from legally purchasing cigarettes.
The Act also grants powers to extend smoke-free restrictions by potentially banning vaping in cars carrying children, playgrounds, outside schools and hospital grounds. It builds on the recently introduced ban on single-use vapes, and precedes planned restrictions on vape vending machine sales, advertising and sponsorship.
In addition to vaping reforms, the consultation proposes mandatory health information inserts inside cigarette packs directing smokers to support services that can help them quit. It also seeks to extend plain packaging requirements to all tobacco products, including cigars and rolling tobacco papers.
According to Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), nearly one million children aged 11 to 17 in Great Britain, almost one in five reported trying vaping in 2025, highlighting growing concerns about youth nicotine addiction and strengthening the case for tougher marketing restrictions.
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