healthmedicinet

Jeremy Hunt, the Health Secretary, will back amendments to the Children and
Families Bill to create a new “age of sale requirement” for e-cigarettes and
make “proxy” purchasing – knowingly buying tobacco on behalf of someone
under 18 – illegal.

E-cigarettes have become increasingly popular among adults who are trying to
give up smoking. Some 1.3 million people in Britain are believed to have
switched from smoking conventional cigarettes to the electronic vaporising
devices.

E-cigarettes give the smoker a hit of nicotine, a highly addictive drug, and
are widely thought to be safer than cigarettes.

However, Professor Dame Sally Davies, the government’s chief medical officer,
said: “We do not yet know the harm that e-cigarettes can cause to adults let
alone to children, but we do know they are not risk free.

“E-cigarettes can produce toxic chemicals and the amount of nicotine and other
chemical constituents and contaminants, including vaporised flavourings,
varies between products meaning they could be extremely damaging to young
people’s health.”

At present there is no legal restriction on people under the age of 18 buying
products like e-cigarettes containing nicotine, which officials say
represents a serious legal loophole at a time when e-cigarettes are becoming
increasingly popular with teenagers.

Medical professionals are concerned that these products, which give young
people a taste for nicotine, could lead to an increase in the number of
teenagers smoking.

E-cigarettes consist of a battery, a cartridge containing nicotine, a
solution, and an atomiser to turn the solution into vapour.

The nicotine is delivered without a flame and without tobacco or tar and
e-cigarette users describe the experience as “vaping” rather than smoking.

In a bid to restrict children’s access to cigarettes further, a new offence
will be created which will mean any adult who buys cigarettes or other
tobacco products for someone who is under 18 could be given a £50 fixed
penalty notice or fined up to £2,500.

Jane Ellison, the Public Health Minister, said: “Two thirds of smokers say
they smoked regularly before they were 18, showing that this is an addiction
largely taken up in childhood.

“This measure is designed to help protect children from the dangers of being
bought cigarettes by irresponsible adults.”