New laws restricting use of vapes to go before States

HSC also wants to bring in measures to stop vapes being marketed to children in shops.

Its propositions, if approved by the States, will legally define vapes and regulate their importation, advertisement, sale, supply and consumption.

HSC president Al Brouard said that the 2022 Guernsey Young People's Survey showed that 38% of secondary school-aged children had tried vaping and 10% vaped regularly.

'The committee shares the concerns held in the community about young people using vapes and has taken a pragmatic approach to recommend regulatory measures to reduce their visibility and availability to children,' he said.

Director of public health Dr Nicola Brink said that vapes had proven useful for adults in helping them give up smoking.

'But their use in children is not recommended. It is concerning to see that the packaging and flavouring of many of these products appear to be targeting children, so I hope the proposal to ban their sale to under-18s is supported.'

As well as the ban on disposables and restrictions on sales and promotion, the committee wants to see a licence scheme introduced for vape sellers that is similar to the one that already exists for retailers who sell tobacco.

There will be some exemptions to the ban on disposables to help adults quit smoking, and at first these will be the Quitline service, Les Nicolles prison and Crevichon Ward at the PEH.

HSC is asking for the power to add to this list from time to time, if necessary.