UK Proposes Plain Packaging, Simpler Flavours for Vapes to Reduce Appeal to Children
The UK government has unveiled proposals to tighten regulations on vaping products, including banning colourful packaging and flavour names inspired by sweets, desserts and cocktails, as part of efforts to curb youth vaping.
The measures form part of a 12-week public consultation launched to make vaping products less attractive to children and young people while preserving their role as a smoking cessation aid for adults.
Under the proposals, vape products would be required to use plain packaging with strict branding rules, while flavour descriptions would be limited to simple terms such as “apple” or “cola.” Packaging featuring bright colours, cartoon imagery or other designs considered appealing to children could also be prohibited.
The government is also considering requiring retailers to keep vaping products out of public view, similar to existing display restrictions for cigarettes and other tobacco products.
Health Secretary James Murray said the proposals are intended to address growing concerns over the increasing number of young people experimenting with vaping.
“The evidence is clear: there are too many young people experimenting with vapes, attracted by the array of flavours, bright colours and marketing displays.
“We must act now to reduce the appeal of addictive vapes to our children.
“Vapes are less harmful than cigarettes and can play an important role in helping adult smokers to quit, but they should never be designed or marketed in ways that tempt children.
“These proposals are about striking the right balance and I urge everyone to have their say.”
The consultation follows the passage of the UK’s Tobacco and Vapes Act, which aims to create the country’s first smoke-free generation while introducing tougher controls on vaping products.
Among the new measures already introduced is a lifetime ban preventing anyone born on or after January 1, 2009, from legally purchasing cigarettes. The legislation also gives authorities powers to prohibit vaping in places such as vehicles carrying children, playgrounds, hospital grounds and outside schools.
The latest proposals build on the recent ban on single-use vapes and precede planned restrictions on vape vending machines, as well as future bans on vape advertising and sponsorship.
According to charity Action on Smoking and Health, nearly one million children aged between 11 and 17 in Great Britain – almost one in five – reported trying vaping in 2025.
The consultation also seeks public feedback on requiring cigarette packs to include information on smoking cessation support and extending plain packaging requirements to all tobacco products, including cigars and rolling papers.
