NICHS continues to support measures designed to decrease the level of smoking in the community, including the continued use of the ‘escalator’ with regard to the level of taxation on tobacco. We are also increasingly concerned about the increasing use of vapes (e-cigarettes). NICHS believes there is increasing evidence about cardiac and respiratory illness being linked to vaping and we are particularly concerned about the rapid rise in the number of young people using vapes.
In general, NICHS believes that vapes should only be used by existing smokers as a short-term measure to assist smokers break their addiction. Specifically, they should only be used over a twelve-week period as part of recognised behavioural change programme.
Largely we concur with the views of the 4 Chief Medical Officers of the UK summed up the following remark by Professor sir Chris Whitty, the CMO for England:
“The key points about vaping (e-cigarettes) can be easily summarised. If you smoke, vaping is much safer; if you don’t smoke, don’t vape; marketing vapes to children is utterly unacceptable.”
NICHS welcome recent government moves to explore restricting the advertising of vapes to young people under 18, however, we believe in light of the known dangers of tobacco, and the increasing concerns about vapes, the minimum age of purchase for tobacco and for vapes containing nicotine should be raised to 21. This would be significant boost in the moves towards a smoke free society and would also provide leadership for school seeking to arrest the spread of vaping amongst their pupils (i.e., no one at school would be legally able to purchase either product).
To quote Chris Whitty further with regard to vaping.
“We do not know the long-term effects of many vape ingredients and companies deliberately inducing nicotine addiction in others to maximise profits is not in the interests of the person being addicted. Non-smokers should therefore be encouraged not to start vaping, and in particular not to use vapes containing ingredients such as nicotine, the main aim of which is to addict them.”
In light of the concerns about vaping and to assist enforcement we also believe that all those wishing to sell vaping products should be required to register with their local council – as tobacco retailers are required to do – and be subject to similar sanctions.
We at NICHS want to see:
- The age at which individuals can buy cigarettes and e-cigarettes (vapes) increased to 21 years.
- An increase of a year, every year, to the age at which individuals can buy these products.
- A restriction on the flavours and colours of all vapes to make them less attractive to children and a total ban on disposable vapes.
- Increase in enforcement of restrictions on sale of cigarettes and e-cigarettes, including limiting where they can be sold.
- An introduction of larger fines and on the spot fines, to those retailers who break the law.
Smoking
Thankfully the prevalence of smoking has declined markedly across the UK including NI, although significant inequalities exist with areas of social deprivation still experiencing prevalence rates of around 30% amongst adults.
Smoking status NI | ||||||||||||
All | 2010/11 | 2011/12 | 2012/13 | 2013/14 | 2014/15 | 2015/16 | 2016/17 | 2017/18 | 2018/19 | 2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 |
Currently smokes cigarettes | 24% | 25% | 24% | 22% | 22% | 23% | 20% | 19% | 18% | 17% | 12% | 17% |
Used to smoke cigarettes regularly | 20% | 21% | 19% | 21% | 21% | 21% | 24% | 23% | 21% | 22% | 22% | 19% |
Used to smoke but not regularly | 13% | 10% | 9% | 9% | 10% | 10% | 11% | 11% | 9% | 12% | 11% | 8% |
Never smoked | 44% | 44% | 48% | 48% | 46% | 46% | 46% | 47% | 51% | 48% | 56% | 55% |
Total | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
Unweighted base | 4083 | 4388 | 4290 | 4507 | 4140 | 3903 | 3881 | 3341 | 3586 | 4082 | 1408 | 3151 |
Cigarette smoking by deprivation quintile | ||||||||||||
All | 2010/11 | 2011/12 | 2012/13 | 2013/14 | 2014/15 | 2015/16 | 2016/17 | 2017/18 | 2018/19 | 2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 |
Deprivation quintile | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % | % |
Most deprived | 40% | 39% | 37% | 34% | 37% | 36% | 31% | 31% | 29% | 27% | 22% | 29% |
Quintile 2 | 26% | 26% | 28% | 26% | 26% | 28% | 23% | 24% | 21% | 20% | 16% | 23% |
Quintile 3 | 22% | 23% | 22% | 20% | 22% | 21% | 19% | 16% | 17% | 17% | 8% | 14% |
Quintile 4 | 20% | 19% | 20% | 17% | 17% | 15% | 16% | 13% | 15% | 15% | 10% | 13% |
Least deprived | 14% | 18% | 12% | 12% | 12% | 14% | 11% | 12% | 12% | 10% | 7% | 10% |
Total | 24% | 25% | 24% | 22% | 22% | 23% | 20% | 19% | 18% | 17% | 12% | 17% |
Vaping
(The data is taken from an annual survey, Smokefree GB, carried out for ASH by YouGov in Spring each year).
The proportion of the adult population using e-cigarettes has increased this year to 8.3%, the highest rate ever, amounting to 4.3 million people in Great Britain.
The most frequent type of e-cigarette device remains a refillable tank system, with 65% of current vapers reporting this type as their main device. Vapes with replaceable cartridges and disposable vapes were the main type of device for 17% and 15% of vapers, respectively.
However, use of disposable vapes has risen, particularly among younger adults. Among 18-24
year olds, almost half of current e-cigarettes users (48%) use disposables as their main type in 2022, an increase from only 2.8% in 2021.
The peak age group for current e-cigarette use in 2022 is 18–24-year-olds (11%) followed by 25-34 year olds (11%), 35–44-year-olds (11%) and 45-54 year olds (10%). People aged 55 and over had the lowest rate at 4.9%. The age distribution in 2022 has changed since 2021, where the 18–24-year-old age group had the lowest vaping rate at 5.0%
Summary of our responses to the Tobacco and Vaping Consultation
Northern Ireland Chest Heart and Stroke (NICHS) views and responses to the UK Consultation on creating a smoke-free generation and addressing youth vaping, along with its position on Tobacco and Vaping.
Introduction:
Northern Ireland Chest Heart and Stroke (NICHS) sets out below our views and responses to the UK Consultation on creating a smoke-free generation and addressing youth vaping, along with its position on Tobacco and Vaping.
Increasing Age of Sale:
NICHS supports progressively raising the age of sale as a pivotal measure to discourage smoking, especially among the youth. The goal is to ensure that individuals born on or after January 1, 2009, are legally barred from purchasing tobacco products.
Proxy Purchases and Offenses:
NICHS advocates for making it an offense for adults to proxy purchase tobacco or vapes for individuals below the legal age to buy cigarettes.
Regulating Vaping as a Quitting Aid:
NICHS asserts that vapes should serve as short-term quitting aids, ideally available through prescriptions, similar to the approach in Australia and supported with behavioural change programmes.
Flavoured Vapes and Targeted Marketing:
NICHS argues that flavoured vapes are designed to attract a new market, particularly young people. It aligns with Chief Medical Officer Sir Chris Whitty's concern about potential long-term health effects and nicotine addiction inducement for profit. NICHS supports restricting flavours to protect young people.
Restricting Vape Flavours:
NICHS recommends limiting vape flavours to tobacco only, aligning with the goal of aiding smokers who wish to quit while preventing products seemingly directed at the youth.
Non-Nicotine E-Liquids:
NICHS supports the inclusion of non-nicotine e-liquids in flavour restrictions, emphasising that all e-liquids, regardless of nicotine content, should face restrictions due to emerging health concerns.
Display and Packaging Restrictions:
NICHS believes vapes should not be marketing widely to the general public. Therefore, they should be kept behind the counter and not on display.
NICHS supports prohibiting the use of all imagery and colouring and branding (standardised packaging) for both the vape packaging and vape device.
NICHS, emphasising the short-term use of vapes, supports Option 1, prohibiting child-friendly imagery on packaging. It refers to research indicating reduced appeal among teenagers with plain packaging.
Disposable Vapes:
NICHS strongly agrees with restrictions or a full ban on disposable vapes, expressing concerns about their appeal to young people, potential health risks, environmental impact, and littering issues.
Regulating Non-Nicotine Vapes and Nicotine Pouches:
NICHS supports the regulation of non-nicotine vapes and other consumer nicotine products under a framework similar to nicotine vapes, highlighting the potential health risks and the need for consistent regulation.
Price Increase as a Deterrent:
NICHS believes that an increase in vape prices, accompanied by dedicated funds for education on vaping risks, may effectively reduce the number of young people vaping.
Enforcement and Fixed Penalty Notices:
NICHS advocates for issuing fixed penalty notices for age-of-sale breaches.
- NICHS that there should be consistency across the UK in order to assist enforcement staff and that Fixed Penalty Notices should be possible in all parts of the UK.
- NICHS believe that Fixed Penalty Notices for an underage tobacco sale should be £500 across the UK.
- NICHS believe that Fixed Penalty Notices for an underage vape sale should be £500 across the UK.
- NICHS supported the introduction of a Register for those selling tobacco in Northern Ireland, we believe it should be UK wide and should be extended to include vape retailing. Retailers should face the prospect of being removed from the register for repeated offences.
