The Vaping Products Bill 2023 will be put before the House of Keys on Tuesday 13 June. It aims to bring in age restrictions on the sale and importation of vaping products, as well as restrictions for point of sale displays to reduce the visibility of those products to children.
The Bill, which was consulted on earlier this year, would bring the Isle of Man in line with the UK for age controls on the sale of vaping products. The Island would move ahead of the UK with controls restricting the advertising and display of vaping products in retailers in a similar way as tobacco, where the premises are accessible to those under 18.
It will also allow the Island to set its own controls on the standards vaping products must meet to be eligible for sale.
These regulations would start with the equivalent UK legislation as a base line, but there would also be an opportunity to update regulatory controls as needed.
Minister for the Cabinet Office, Kate Lord-Brennan MHK said:
‘With a growing number of people taking up vaping and concerns around the potential impact vaping may have on the health of young people, it is vital that we have in place adequate regulatory controls and safeguards.
‘This Bill will make it illegal to sell vaping products to under 18’s and minimise the exposure of children to point of sale advertising of vaping products in shops. In this way it will help protect young people from a health perspective whilst addressing some of the issues faced by parents, schools and retailers.’
The long term risks from vaping are not widely understood, with public health concerns about the impact on young people in particular. Research shows that, in the UK, vaping in young people is growing, with 15.8% of 11–17-year-olds having use a vape in 2022, a significant increase compared to 3.8% in 2013.
The Bill has been developed following wide engagement, with input from Public Health, the Office of Fair Trading, the Department for Education, Sport and Culture, and retailers, amongst others.