Vapes could be made prescription-only to stop kids getting addicted under Labour

Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting said Labour is considering making vapes prescription-only as he accused the industry of 'crying crocodile tears' about surging use by children

A Labour Government could make vapes prescription-only.

Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the party is considering the move to stop children becoming hooked on e-cigarettes. Britain’s vaping rates among teens and young adults are some of the highest in Western Europe and Mr Streeting has accused the industry of “crying crocodile tears” about surging use by children.

He said: “I’m outraged at the extent to which this industry has peddled itself as an altruistic smoking cessation service. I don’t want any more crocodile tears from vaping industry leaders about the number of children who have taken up vaping.

“I think this has been a deliberate strategy to increase consumer demand and the fact that you’ve got Big Tobacco now weighing in behind vaping tells me that what they want is to addict people to nicotine through a new product.” Vaping among children in the UK has tripled in the past three years, with one in five 11 to 17-year-olds having tried it, Action on Smoking and Health found.

Mr Streeting spoke out during a visit to Australia, where it has been illegal since 2021 to buy vapes containing nicotine without a doctor’s prescription. Australia has also announced plans to ban the import of disposable e-cigarettes to close down a black market.

The NHS now actively promotes e-cigarettes as a quitting tool for smokers and some experts fear making them harder to access could hit this drive. A Department of Health spokesman said: “We are consulting on plans to reduce the availability, appeal and affordability of vapes to children.”