Disposable vapes must be banned and others sold in plain packaging to curtail the “Wild West market” in e-cigarettes which is damaging young people, the Children’s Commissioner for England has said.

Dame Rachel de Souza said she was deeply worried by the fact children feel under pressure to vape – including avoiding using school toilets where it is happening – saying it is “insidious these products are intentionally marketed and promoted to children”.

Her comments echo those from England’s Chief Medical Officer, Professor Sir Chris Whitty, who in February attacked the “appalling” marketing of vapes to children – saying it is clear some products are intended to appeal to underage youngsters.

Earlier this week, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) also called for a ban on disposable vapes, saying “youth vaping is fast becoming an epidemic” and that e-cigarettes “are not a risk-free product and can be just as addictive, if not more so, than traditional cigarettes”.

We urgently need stricter regulation of this ‘Wild West’ market. It is insidious that these products are intentionally marketed and promoted to children, both online and offline

Dame Rachel published new research including from more than 3,500 children aged eight to 17 and their parents which found youngsters are worried about peer pressure and being exposed to promotion of vaping on social media.

She said the sale of ‘nicotine-free’ vapes to children should be banned, and welcomed a Government review in this area, but also said e-cigarettes should be sold only in plain packaging to prevent their appeal to youngsters.

Furthermore, age-of-sale signs on vaping products should be mandated in the same way as for tobacco.

Dame Rachel said: “I am concerned by the rise in the number of children vaping in this country, particularly given the risks it poses to their health and wellbeing.

“It is deeply worrying to hear how children feel pressured to vape.

“We urgently need stricter regulation of this ‘Wild West’ market. It is insidious that these products are intentionally marketed and promoted to children, both online and offline.

“Many children who are addicted to vaping have never even smoked tobacco, with vaping acting as a gateway rather than a quitting strategy.

“Children deserve to lead long, happy, healthy lives, which is why I am unequivocal in my view that no child should be smoking or vaping.”

In May, data for Action on Smoking and Health (Ash) showed there has been a 50% rise in the last year in Great Britain in the proportion of children trying vaping.

It found a rise in experimental vaping among 11 to 17-year-olds, from 7.7% last year to 11.6% this year.

The figures showed that, as children get older, regular use of vapes and experimentation increases.

Some 10.4% of 11 to 15-year-olds had ever vaped, rising to 29.1% of 16 and 17-year-olds and 40.8% of 18-year-olds.

The proportion of children who have never smoked but who have tried vaping is 11.5%.

Disposable vapes are the e-cigarette of choice among youngsters, and purchases of vapes are mostly made from corner shops.

It is deeply worrying to hear accounts from children who now struggle to concentrate for whole lessons, unable to use their vape

In 2021, current child vapers were least likely to buy disposable vapes (7.7%) but in 2022 they became the most used (52%) and this has continued to grow to 69% in 2023.

It is illegal to sell vapes to under-18s but social media carries posts from teenagers showing coloured vapes and discussing flavours such as pink lemonade, strawberry, banana and mango.

In her submission to the Government’s consultation on vaping, Dame Rachel drew on her survey of children aged eight to 17 and their parents, as well as from the largest ever survey of children in England – the Big Ask – in 2021.

She said: “I was shocked and concerned to hear from children as young as 12 who told me that vaping was normalised among their peers – even on school premises.

“It is deeply worrying to hear accounts from children who now struggle to concentrate for whole lessons, unable to use their vape.

“Other children are avoiding using school toilets, for fear of peer pressure to join in.

It is illegal to sell nicotine vapes to children and we are concerned about the recent rises in youth vaping - particularly because of the unknown long-term harms

“Schools have been horrified to discover that vapes confiscated from
their students contain dangerously high levels of chemicals like nickel and lead, exposure to which can affect the central nervous system and brain development.”

When asked what the Government should do to make children’s lives better, Dame Rachel said both children and adults mentioned vaping, its health risks, and the need to prevent children from vaping, such as enforcing bans.

A Department for Health and Social Care spokesman said: “It is illegal to sell nicotine vapes to children and we are concerned about the recent rises in youth vaping – particularly because of the unknown long-term harms.

“We are taking bold action to crack down on youth vaping through the £3 million illicit vapes enforcement squad to tackle underage sales to children.

“We have also launched a call for evidence to identify opportunities to reduce the number of children accessing and using vape products and explore where the Government can go further.”