Written Question·Department of Health and Social Care·UIN 182558
Electronic Cigarettes: Children and Young People
Tabled: 25 April 2023
Answered: 3 May 2023
Question
Jim Shannon
Democratic Unionist Party — Strangford
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of making it illegal for people under the age of 21 to buy cigarettes and vaping devices.
Answer
Neil O'BrienThere is no current plan to increase the age of sale of tobacco to 21 years old. Our assessment is that an increase in the age of sale would be a major departure from the policy pursued over recent decades, which has emphasised personal responsibility and help for people to quit.
On vaping, there are no current plans to increase the age of sale. However, we have recently launched a call for evidence which will help us to further assess options to reduce youth vaping.