Soon all under 18s will be barred from purchasing electronic
cigarettes under new plans by the Government which is aimed at reducing teenage
smoking.
This announcement comes as electronic cigarettes are enjoying
soaring sales, with approximately 1.3 million people using them in the UK.
The law is going to be introduced as an amendment to the
Children and Families Bill and it will also make it illegal for anyone over 18 adults
to buy cigarettes for those under 18. Any adult caught breaking the law could face
a £50 fixed penalty notice or even be fined up to £2,500. All this comes as figures
released by the Department of Health figures show that nearly half of all15-year-olds
who smoke admit they usually get their cigarettes from other people instead of going
to a shop to buy them.
Regarding e-cigarettes, many people view these tobacco-free devices as a great alternative to the more traditional cigarettes, although health experts remain unconvinced about the long-term effects they could potentially have on users' health. E-cigarettes give the user a hit of nicotine which makes some fear they reinforce the habits and behaviour of smoking, consequently making it harder for them to give up in the long term. However those who are regular users of electronic cigarettes say that this is the reason why they chose to switch to e-cigs, as they replicate the smoking feeling and action without most of the negative consequences.
England's chief medical officer Professor Sally Davies says
that the harm e-cigarettes can cause to adults or children are largely unknown and
are thought not to be totally risk free.
They still can produce toxic
chemicals and there is a varying amount of
nicotine, contaminants and other chemical constituents, including the vaporised
flavourings between products. The key
here is to make sure you buy your e-cigs, e-liquids etc from a quality
supplier.
Professor Sally Davies
Currently there is no restriction on
under eighteens buying e-cigarettes and they are quite popular among British teenagers.
Some are concerned that children are using smokeless devices, which are
designed to help users reduce or quit smoking, before they move on to
traditional cigarettes. The data on this hypothesis is still unavailable
however.
Smoking rates are at their lowest ever, this is in the wake
of the ban on public smoking, public health campaigns highlighting the dangers
of cigarettes as well as all the help there is to assist smokers in quitting. One of these is the use of electronic
cigarettes and thousands of people have successfully managed to reduce or stop
smoking entirely with the use of the e-cig.
A spokesperson for the electronic cigarettes said quite clearly that
whatever harm an electronic cigarette can pose it is always going to be far
less than a traditional cigarette.
Whilst the research into the effects of long term usage of e-cigs
continues, the new legislation on under 18s using electronic cigarettes and the
ban on adults buying cigarettes for under eighteens will come into force by
this autumn.
Does no one else think its to do with the parents too? Surely they are partly to blame? If they advise there kids about e cigs, then this wont be so much a problem.
ReplyDeleteIn India you should be 18 plus even for itc electronic cigarette . Although they are safe but rules are made for our betterment, Should respect it.
ReplyDeleteAre you paying more than $5 per pack of cigarettes? I buy my cigarettes at Duty Free Depot and this saves me over 50%.
ReplyDelete