The UK government is considering requiring vapes to be sold in plain packaging and in drab colors like black, white, or grey as part of new measures aimed at making the products less attractive to children. The Department of Health and Social Care has launched a 12-week consultation on the proposals, which would also restrict the visibility of vapes in shops and limit branding and flavor descriptions.
Health Secretary James Murray stated that the current marketing tactics, including colorful packaging and child-friendly names, are inappropriate and contribute to young people starting to vape. "Vaping plays a role for adults when they're coming off smoking, but we want to make sure children and young people don't start," he said.
These proposed changes come approximately one year after the government banned the sale of single-use vapes on June 1, 2025, also in an effort to discourage underage use. Polling for the charity Action on Smoking and Health indicates that nearly one in five children aged 11 to 17 in Britain have tried vaping.
Research suggests that standardized packaging could significantly reduce young people's interest in vaping without deterring adult smokers who use e-cigarettes as a quitting aid. A study involving young people aged 11 to 18 and adults found that while 53 percent of young participants believed their peers would be interested in trying vapes in their usual packaging, this figure dropped to 38 percent when presented with standardized packaging and simple flavor terms.
Among adults, interest levels remained largely consistent between branded and plain packaging. The consultation aims to gather information to guide the implementation of these restrictions. Professor Sir Chris Whitty, England's chief medical officer, has previously described marketing vapes to children as "utterly unacceptable."
The proposals could also extend plain-packaging rules to the wider tobacco industry, requiring standardized packaging for all tobacco products, including cigars and rolling papers. Cigarette packets might include inserts directing smokers to quitting resources, and airport and duty-free display exemptions could be removed. These measures would be enacted under the powers granted by the Tobacco and Vapes Act, which became law in April.
While vaping is considered less harmful than smoking and a tool for smoking cessation, health officials emphasize it is not risk-free and should not be initiated by children or non-smokers. Young adults are the most frequent users; Office for National Statistics data from 2024 showed 13 percent of 16-to-24-year-olds used e-cigarettes daily, double the rate across all age groups. Flavored products are especially popular among users.
