Disposable vapes, and smoking in cars with children banned

Thursday 23 May 2024

More than 80 people - presumed to be children - are still estimated to be taking up smoking every year, with new measures approved by the States to try and curb its prevalence in the island.

During debates yesterday on introducing various bans on disposable vapes, advertising vapes, smoking in cars with children present, and the commercial growing of tobacco, the current prevalence of smoking was referenced repeatedly.

Current and former members of Health and Social Care in particular said that the island's smoking prevalence has been stuck at around 13% for around a decade.

Deputy Al Brouard said that 86 people die each year from smoking related illnesses which means that 86 people must be starting smoking each year for the prevalence to remain static. 

The Health President said these are likely to be children as few people - himself one of the exceptions - start smoking in adulthood. He said he had started smoking in his 20s. Acknowledging the dangers of smoking, he said that the island needs to do all it can to stop people from starting smoking in the first place. 

Pictured: HSC President Deputy Al Brouard, and his Vice President Deputy Marc Leadbeater, with committee members Deputy Gavin St Pier, Alderney States Member Alex Snowdon and Deputy Aidan Matthews. 

"We need to go into our latter years in good health," he said. "The length we will live will not change a great deal with the science we have at the moment, but how we live healthily or with bad health will materially affect our health and care system and the cost of it."

Vice President of HSC, Deputy Marc Leadbeater also outed himself as a former smoker - saying he's now an "annoying anti-smoker", telling people they should give up and that he "really welcomes" the proposals.

The proposals were spread across a number of different topics in two separate debates - one centred around vaping, and one around smoking. 

Deputies backed the creation of an Enabling Law which in turn will see the framework drawn up to legally define vapes and to regulate their importation, advertisement, sale, supply, and consumption.

Pictured: The sweet flavours of vapes were clearly aimed at children, said many deputies during the debate.

That Enabling Law will include clauses to ban the sale and supply of vapes to under 18s, prohibit the advertisement of vapes being sold, introduce a licence scheme for vape sellers that is similar to the one for tobacco products, and ban the importation, sale and supply, including the free supply, of disposable vapes.

Concerns were raised that these measures may open a "back door" to vape importation, along with concerns over the impact on a small number of retailers who currently sell vapes and have the word vape either in their shop name or prominent in their branding.

However, evidence was also cited in how children feel under pressure to vape - with Education President Deputy Andrea Dudley-Owen saying that vape use among students has accelerated.

She said students have disclosed anonymously that they feel under pressure from their peers to try vapes, when they don't want to, and she thinks the Enabling Law will help bolster children's stance against them.

Pictured: Deputy Peter Roffey had lodged the amendment to investigate raising the legal age of smoking, but was ill on the day of the debate, so it was led by Deputy Lindsay de Sausmarez in his absence. 

Deputies also voted in favour of directing HSC to investigate the possibility of raising the legal age of smoking. This could mean children born after a certain year will never be able to legally buy tobacco products or smoke.

Some concerns were raised about taking choices away from people, with deputies John Gollop, John Dyke, and Aidan Matthews among those feeling conflicted over the proposals.

Deputy Gollop said: "I always give a slight defence to the smokers, people like me, in that some people smoke because they do not take or are not allowed to take alcohol, or they might have mental health or behavioural conditions, and I think that should be factored in despite the brilliant work on prevention that Health and Social Care is doing and supports."

With States backing, it means HSC has until the end of next year to present its findings to the States. That would mean the next HSC committee after the June election would have to finalise the work and present it. 

Work on banning smoking in vehicles where children are present will also start after the States backed that move. 

Deputy Brouard said Guernsey is the only place in the British Isles which still allows it and that evidence proves young children who spend time around adults who smoke are also more likely to take up smoking themselves. 

Pictured: The States backed a number of measures to further control the sale of tobacco and vape products. 

The proposed ban on the commercial growing of tobacco in Guernsey was defeated though with Deputy Neil Inder saying there are commercial opportunities which the island shouldn't prohibit. 

He was also not happy that HSC had said his Economic Development committee was in favour of the ban, when it wasn't. 

"You don't always have to grow tobacco and chop it up and put it in a roll up," he said. "There are other reasons tobacco is grown, so for that alone I won't be supporting it and I am disappointed Health has mentioned Economic Development saying they were for it. We weren't for it, all we stated was that we didn't have a strategy on the matter so I think they've been a little bit naughty on this, and for that alone I will not be supporting proposition 3 but I will be supporting the amendment and propositions 1, 2, and 4."

Another financial opportunity was identified during the debate with Deputy Lyndon Trott saying Policy and Resources are looking at introducing a temporary levy on disposable vapes until the ban is brought in.

A permanent levy on non disposable vapes and e-cigarettes is also being investigated as part of the 2025 budget preparatory work.

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