Local health charity, Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke (NICHS) is calling for the age of sale for vapes to be increased to 21. The charity was commenting following the Assembly’s Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Committee approval of a ban on selling disposable vapes.
“The Assembly is to be congratulated for banning disposable vapes and we look forward to this ban coming into force in June, however, we must do more to protect young people”, said Neil Johnston, Head of Policy and Public Affairs, at NICHS.
“As a charity we are regularly in schools across Northern Ireland speaking to children about healthy living – and we are inundated with requests for information on how to tackle the scourge of vaping.”
“NICHS believes that vapes should only be used as a short-term measure to help existing smokers quit. We also believe that, given the increasing concerns about cardiovascular and respiratory health and vaping, we need to do more to protect young people.”
“While the UK government is bringing in a number of new measures to tackle both tobacco and vaping, we think we need to increase the age at which someone can buy a vape to 21.”
“That would ensure that there would be no reason for any young people at secondary school in Northern Ireland to have vapes. We also believe it would help councils in their enforcement activity.”
“To date, Northern Ireland has largely just followed what has been done in Great Britain. The Assembly should show leadership on this issue for the sake of the health of our young people.”
The Assembly’s Health Committee also approved a proposal for the Assembly to consider a Legislative Consent Motion relating to the Tobacco and Vaping Bill which is currently progressing through Parliament at Westminster.
Neil Johnston commented, “We welcome the Committee’s support for this. The Tobacco and Vaping Bill contains a range of valuable measures – including a ban on vaping manufacturers using flavours and colours which are designed to attract young people and the radical move to essentially ban any born after January 2009 from buying cigarettes.”
“We hope the Assembly will vote for Northern Ireland to be included in this Bill. This will ensure our children receive the same protection as children in the rest of the UK.”
Further information about vaping can be found on the NICHS website at www.nichs.org.uk/vaping
