Our views

ASH Scotland supports several of the UK Government’s proposed measures in the consultation to prevent nicotine addiction and protect the health of children and young people and, in some areas, we are calling for more robust, bolder restrictions.

Making heated tobacco and nicotine product devices less attractive
The UK Government proposes to make devices look less attractive. Heated tobacco devices would be limited to a dull brown colour, with little branding or decoration, and vapes and nicotine products would also face tighter rules with colours allowed only in black, white or grey and a matt finish. Bright lights and flashy designs would also be banned. Vapes and heated tobacco devices would be prevented from being made to look like everyday items such as pens, toys or drinks bottles.

ASH Scotland agrees that heated tobacco devices should be a dull brown colour with a matt finish, with no cosmetic lights, no branding except a plain brand name, and screens that can only show basic safety or battery information in black and white. We are calling for the restrictions to go further than the proposal by also requiring vapes and nicotine pouches to be a drab dark brown colour. We agree these devices must not include bright colours, flashy lights and gadget-style designs which attract children and young people, and must not be made to look like everyday items that can be easier to hide from parents and teachers.

We strongly urge the UK Government to go further than its current proposal to restrict the descriptions of flavours In vapes and nicotine pouches to one word by implementing a full ban of all added flavourings, including sweet and fruit flavours, which particularly appeal to children and young people. This more robust measure would remove toxic chemicals in vape flavourings that have not been safety tested for inhalation and can damage children’s developing lungs.

Hiding tobacco and nicotine products in shops
The UK Government proposes that shops should keep vapes, nicotine pouches, heated tobacco devices and herbal smoking products out of sight in the same way that cigarettes are currently covered and hidden behind counters.

ASH Scotland supports keeping tobacco, heated tobacco, herbal smoking products, vapes and other nicotine products such as nicotine pouches out of sight in shops. It would make trading standards enforcement and understanding of the new rules for retailers easier if all tobacco and related products are covered by the same regulations.

Scotland's public health consensus aligns with the World Health Organization’s precautionary approach of only medicinally approved products should be recommended for smoking cessation. No vape has been licensed anywhere as a medicinal product and WHO’s clinical guidelines on smoking cessation are clear that there is not enough evidence to recommend e-cigarettes as quit smoking aids.