The Welsh Government will ban disposable vapes and support plans to raise the smoking age.
The UK Government will soon introduce a Tobacco and Vaping Bill, which will include measures to:
- Change the sales age for all tobacco products, cigarette papers, and herbal smoking products, ensuring that anyone born on or after January 1, 2009, will never legally purchase tobacco products (also illegal in Scotland). The bill will also prohibit proxy sales and amend warning notices.
- Introduce regulatory powers to restrict the flavors, sales locations, and packaging of vaping products (both nicotine and non-nicotine) and other consumable nicotine products.
- Introduce new enforcement powers in England and Wales to address breaches of legislation on the sales age for tobacco, vaping products (nicotine and non-nicotine), and other consumable nicotine products.
The Welsh Government, alongside the UK and Scottish Governments, plans to legislate against disposable vapes, including both nicotine and non-nicotine products, due to their significant environmental impact.
Smoking is the leading cause of preventable illness and premature death in Wales. It accounts for a quarter of all cancer deaths in the UK and causes 80,000 preventable deaths annually in the UK, with around 5,600 of those occurring in Wales.
While vaping helps some smokers quit, data shows that the number of children using e-cigarettes has doubled over the past three years. Due to their nicotine content and unknown long-term harms, vaping poses risks of harm and addiction to children.
- Disposable vape usage has also risen recently, with nearly 5 million vapes being littered weekly. This is not only extremely wasteful due to the difficulty of recycling their components, but it is also known that disposable vapes are used by children. When littered, they release toxic chemicals into the environment, creating high levels of waste that are hard to recycle and harmful to both the environment and public health.
How does smoking affect my heart and circulatory system?
Chemicals in cigarettes make artery walls sticky, causing fatty substances to adhere to them. These substances can clog arteries, reducing space for normal blood flow.
If arteries supplying blood to the heart become blocked, it can cause a heart attack. If arteries supplying blood to the brain are blocked, it can lead to a stroke.
Smoking also affects your heart and blood vessels by:
- Increasing the risk of blood clots
- Causing an immediate rise in heart rate
- Causing an immediate increase in blood pressure
- Reducing the oxygen delivered to other parts of the body
What are the harms of nicotine?
Nicotine is an addictive chemical found in regular cigarettes, most e-cigarettes, and water pipes. It increases your heart rate and blood pressure. Untreated high blood pressure increases the risks of:
- Stroke
- Heart attack
- Heart failure
- Kidney failure
- Vascular dementia
- Vision problems
Take care of your health—it’s your greatest wealth!