The UK government has unveiled plans to strip brightly coloured branding from vapes and introduce plain packaging as part of a crackdown on products marketed at children.
Under proposals published for consultation on Friday, vape products would be sold in standardised white packaging with strict limits on branding, while devices themselves would only be available in white, black or grey. Ministers also want to move vapes out of sight in shops and airports and limit flavour names to simple descriptions such as "apple", banning names linked to sweets, desserts and alcoholic drinks.
The measures form part of a UK-wide consultation involving the UK government and the devolved administrations, following the passage of the Tobacco and Vapes Act earlier this year.
Health Secretary James Murray said evidence showed too many young people were being drawn to vaping by colourful packaging, sweet flavours and prominent retail displays.
He said vaping products remained an important tool for helping adult smokers quit, but argued they should not be designed or marketed in ways that appeal to children.
According to Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), around one million children aged 11 to 17 in Great Britain said they had tried vaping in 2025. Health officials say eye-catching packaging and youth-oriented marketing have contributed to the rise in experimentation among teenagers.
The consultation also proposes extending plain packaging rules to all tobacco products, including cigars and cigarette papers. New health warnings and inserts encouraging smokers to quit would also be introduced, while tobacco displays would be removed from duty-free shops and airports.
The proposals would also cover nicotine pouches, reflecting growing concern over their increasing use among young people.
Public health ministers across Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland backed the plans, warning that nicotine addiction among children remains a significant concern. Scotland's Public Health Minister Maree Todd said almost one in five children in Scotland had tried vaping, while Northern Ireland's Health Minister Mike Nesbitt said reducing the visibility of vaping products would help curb their appeal.
Medical organisations also welcomed the consultation. Professor Steve Turner, President of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said stronger regulation was needed to protect children from what he described as aggressive marketing by tobacco and vaping companies.
ASH chief executive Hazel Cheeseman supported tighter restrictions but warned ministers must avoid making vaping less attractive to adult smokers trying to quit tobacco. She said the challenge was to reduce the appeal of vaping to children without undermining one of the most effective smoking cessation tools available.
The consultation is part of a broader programme of tobacco and vaping reforms. A ban on disposable vapes came into force in June 2025, while a new Vaping Products Duty is due to begin in October this year. Further restrictions, including a ban on vape vending machines and free distribution, are scheduled for later in 2026, with a ban on vape advertising and sponsorship planned from June 2027. Photo by Lindsay Fox from Newport beach, United States, Wikimedia commons.
