Portsmouth MP Stephen Morgan has welcomed plans to crack down on vapes aimed at children following the recent launch of his Dodgy Shops campaign to crack down on rogue retailers selling illicit and underage vaping products.
The Government has launched a 12-week UK-wide consultation as part of its wider action to tackle youth vaping. It follows the ban on single-use vapes, introduced on 1 June 2025, and comes ahead of several further measures, including:
- 1 October 2026: Introduction of a Vaping Products Duty.
- 29 October 2026: Ban on the sale of vapes from vending machines and their free distribution.
- 1 June 2027: Ban on vape advertising and sponsorship.
The consultation aims to reduce the appeal and accessibility of vaping products to children while preserving their role as a potential smoking cessation aid for adults—their only recommended use.
The proposals in the consultation include:
- Vaping and nicotine product packaging: White packaging including components, refills, limiting branding and imagery.
- Vaping and nicotine product flavour descriptions: A single, recognised flavour (e.g. “Apple”), prohibit concept/sensory names and names appealing to children (e.g. confectionery, desserts, alcohol).
- Vape device appearance: Device colour must be white, black, or grey, standardised branding, no imagery and requirements for screens to be limited to safety and status information only.
- Display: Cigarette papers, heated and other tobacco-related devices, herbal smoking products, vaping products, and nicotine products retail display to align with current requirements for tobacco products (similar but slightly different restrictions in Scotland due to existing legislation).
- Heated tobacco device appearance: Device to be Pantone 448c colour (the same as existing tobacco plain packaging), standardised branding, no imagery and requirements for screens to be limited to safety information.
- Tobacco packaging: Extend existing tobacco plain packaging requirements (e.g. drab dark brown Pantone 448C colour, no branding, no logos) to all tobacco products, herbal smoking products, heated tobacco devices and cigarette papers.
Commenting on the consultation, Stephen Morgan MP said:
“Bubblegum, candy floss and rainbow packaging.. It’s not hard to see who some of these products are trying to appeal to.
“Vapes can be an effective way for adults to quit smoking, but they are not sweets and they should never be marketed to children.
“This Labour Government is creating a smoke-free generation and raising the healthiest generation ever, and I welcome the launch of the UK-wide consultation on tougher rules around packaging, flavour names, displays and product design.”
The launch of the 12-week consultation follows the launch of Mr Morgan’s Dodgy Shops Campaign, a campaign launched with the aim of building community support to crack down on rogue traders and protect our city’s residents and high streets.
The MP urges Portsmouth people and local businesses to sign his petition to show their support for stopping dodgy shops, and to share their suggestions for what further action could be taken to prohibit and prosecute illicit activity across Portsmouth’s shopping streets.
Find out more information here: https://www.stephenmorgan.org.uk/stop-dodgy-shops/
