Select a region
Disposable vapes could be banned, as could smoking in a car with children, as Health publishes two proposals that aim to protect young people from the harms of smoking and vaping.
The Committee for Health and Social Care has published two recommendations, to ban disposable vapes and smoking in vehicles carrying children.
Health is concerned that disposable vapes are increasingly being marketed to children and, as the long term effects of vaping remain unknown, the Committee wants to ban the product and prohibit the sale of all vapes to under 18s.
Deputy Al Brouard, President of the Committee for Health & Social Care, said: “The findings of the Guernsey Young People’s Survey highlighted that in 2022 38% of secondary age students surveyed reported that they had tried vaping and 10% recorded vaping regularly. The Committee shares the concerns held in the community about young people using vapes and has taken a pragmatic approach to recommend regulatory measures to reduce their visibility and availability to children.”
Dr Nicola Brink, Director of Public Health, said: “Vapes have proven to be useful in helping some adults give up smoking, but their use in children is not recommended. It is concerning to see that the packaging and flavouring of many of these products appear to be targeting children, so I hope the proposal to ban their sale to under 18s is supported.”
In addition to a ban on disposable vapes, HSC also wants to ban smoking in cars with children.
The Committee said that second-hand smoke in cars is particularly dangerous because it is an small, enclosed environment.
Deputy Al Brouard, President of the Committee for Health & Social Care, said: “The Committee is delighted to publish its proposals which will protect and improve the health of children and young people. Guernsey has a history of determined tobacco control policy and the Committee is keen to build on the legislation it most recently implemented in 2021 - to prohibit branding on tobacco packaging - by recommending a ban on smoking in cars carrying children.”
Dr Nicola Brink, Director of Public Health, said: “The concentration of cancerous toxins present in tobacco smoke in cars is considerable so the proposal to ban smoking in cars carrying children is welcomed. Legislative measures to create smokefree environments for children and young people not only protects their health but will also reduce the likelihood that they will take up smoking themselves. We know that children and young people are being exposed to second hand smoke in cars. The Children and Young Peoples’ Survey highlighted that 6% of Primary School children (Year 6) and 9% of young people in Secondary School (Year 8 and 10) responded that someone smokes in a car when they are in it. This illustrates the need for change.”
Comments
Comments on this story express the views of the commentator only, not Bailiwick Publishing. We are unable to guarantee the accuracy of any of those comments.