Young people could be less likely to try vaping casually, once a ban on disposable vapes comes into force.
Under 18s are already banned from buying any vape products but from tomorrow, 31 January, the import and sale of all disposable vape products will be banned across the Bailiwick – this includes any products that are neither refillable nor rechargeable.
From the end of March, shops will also be banned from displaying any vape products for sale.
Dr Nicola Brink, Guernsey’s Director of Public Health, said these changes will also help lead to a longer-term reduction in vaping.
“We’re hoping that some people will stop vaping,” Dr Brink said, adding: “We know that the disposable vapes are very easy to use compared to refillable vapes… young people almost graze on them.”
Dr Brink said there were three factors behind the decision to ban disposable vapes and introduce tighter restrictions on the selling of reusable vapes: health and wellbeing, the environmental impact, and the risk of refuse fires.
Dr Brink said many disposable vapes were “brightly coloured, they’re flavoured and are really attractive to many young people”.
She said: “We also know that vaping causes some lung irritation and of course we don’t know the long term effects.”
Dr Brink said help and education was available to anyone wanting to quit vaping.
The chemical in vapes could “leach into the soil and into the water and also wildlife can ingest parts of them”, she said.
Import ban
The disposable vape ban comes into force on 31 January, with tighter restrictions on selling and advertising other vapes coming into force in March.
Tobin Cook, the island’s Director of Environmental Health and Pollution Regulation, said it will be illegal to import disposable vapes to the island from this weekend, including personal imports.
From 31 March any shops selling vapes or vaping products will need to be licenced, at a cost of £400 a year, he said.