Dr Caroline Johnson presented her 10-Minute Bill to Parliament with the support of two ex-Health Secretaries and has progressed to the next legislative stage.
The MP for Sleaford and North Hykeham had the support of MPs including Andrea Leadsom, Caroline Lucas, Maggie Throup, and Steve Brine among others.
“I beg to move,” began Dr Johnson, also a consultant paediatrician, “that leave be given to bring in a Bill to prohibit the sale of disposable electronic cigarettes; and for connected purposes.
“E-cigarettes were billed as a health revolution—as something that could be held like a cigarette and puffed on like a cigarette, and would provide a nicotine hit in the same way as a cigarette, but without containing the tar and the other carcinogenic compounds that are known to cause cancer. In theory at least, they were designed as a quitting aid, like nicotine gum, to wean smokers off cigarettes, but sadly they have attracted a far wider following. The Office for National Statistics estimates that in 2021 there were more than 4 million vapers in the UK, and the number is likely to have risen since then.”
Dr Johnson raised fears about vaping appealing to non-smoking teens, citing the recent NHS survey indicating an 18% usage rate.
Dave Cross – Planet of the Vapes – 2023-02-14.
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