Will the Minster explain what the Welsh Government's plan is to address and prevent vaping among children in north Wales?
I am very concerned by the increasing number of young people using vape products and support much stronger restrictions on the industry to prevent these products being marketed to and being accessed by children.
Following a joint four nations consultation on proposals to create a smokefree generation and to tackle youth vaping, the Welsh Government, along with those in the other UK Nations published the consultation outcome document on 29 January. In this document, we set out our intention to introduce legislation shortly to prevent young people born after January 1st 2009 from ever purchasing tobacco as well as powers to regulate vapes, including flavourings, packaging and the placement of these products in shops, with the aim of reducing use by young people.
Separately, and in light of their links to youth vaping and the significant environmental concerns around disposable vapes, the Welsh Government, along with the UK and Scottish governments, will bring forward legislation to introduce a ban on disposable vapes. Further details on our plans are provided in my written statement, published on 29 January.
In taking forward these measures, it is extremely important that we take all actions necessary to address tobacco and youth vaping, but in a way that minimises unintended consequences particularly to former smokers because we know that vapes can be useful to some in helping them to quit smoking. Whilst we all share a desire to take action swiftly, my officials are working closely with those in the other UK nations to ensure the legislation we develop is as well designed and as comprehensive as necessary to achieve our objectives.
To support schools with the challenges they are experiencing on vapes, the Welsh Government asked Public Health Wales to develop guidance for secondary age learners. This guidance was published on 23 September 2023 and aims to help learners understand the impact of vaping on their health and well-being as well as provide evidence-based information for teachers and school staff that they can use to respond and help address vaping in their setting. The guidance also provides information on ways schools can embed teaching and learning on vaping into the new curriculum. This guidance is available here.
In addition, within schools in Wales, the ‘JustB Smokefree’ programme targets secondary school pupils in the areas with highest smoking prevalence. It equips young people with the knowledge, skills, and motivation to comfortably discuss the risks of smoking and vaping and the benefits of being smoke free amongst their peers, prior to the age of typical smoking initiation.