The UK government plans to ban disposable vapes in an effort to stop children using them. In recent years, vapes have become cheaper and more colourful and are now available in a wide variety of flavours.
“As any parent or teacher knows, one of the most worrying trends at the moment is the rise in vaping among children, and so we must act before it becomes endemic,” Rishi Sunak said during the announcement.
Sarah Boseley, a writer and former health editor of the Guardian, tells Michael Safi why getting the balance right on regulations is difficult for governments. Smokers often use vapes to help them quit cigarettes, a habit that has devastating health impacts and costs health systems a lot of money. How can we prevent children from becoming addicted to nicotine while helping adults who are trying to quit?
Photograph: AleksandrYu/Getty Images/iStockphoto
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