Wales follows in the footsteps of England and Scotland to completely ban disposable e-cigarettes

According to media reports from Yahoo on January 29th, the Welsh government has decided to follow the example of England and Scotland and completely ban the use of disposable e-cigarettes.
In addition, the Welsh government has stated that it will support legislation by the UK government to raise the legal smoking age to ensure that children under the age of 15 born this year or later will never be able to legally purchase tobacco.
In the UK wide consultation on smoking and e-cigarettes, which ended on December 6, 2021, Wales received 1018 feedback to support the development of relevant legislation.
Lynn Niguel, Deputy Minister of Mental Health and Welfare of the Welsh government, stated that smoking is a major cause of preventable diseases and premature deaths in Wales. She pointed out that smoking is the main cause of one quarter of cancer deaths in the UK, with approximately 5600 preventable deaths in Wales each year.
Although e-cigarettes have helped smokers to some extent, data shows that the number of children using e-cigarettes has doubled in the past three years. Due to the presence of nicotine in e-cigarettes, their long-term harm is not yet clear, posing a risk of harm and addiction to children.
In the future, the Welsh government will focus on preventing young people from smoking for the first time, preventing teenagers from using e-cigarettes, and addressing the environmental impact of disposable e-cigarettes. The UK government also plans to restrict flavors specifically targeted at the children's market through tobacco and e-cigarette laws, require manufacturers to adopt more suitable packaging, and change the way e-cigarettes are displayed in stores to prevent children from coming into contact.
In addition, new fine regulations will be implemented in England and Wales, and shops that illegally sell e-cigarettes to children will be fined £ 100. The trade standards department will also take "on-site" actions in cases where minors sell tobacco and e-cigarettes, which is a new measure based on the current maximum fine of £ 2500.