You’ve got the power: How the Government can use the Tobacco and Vape Bill to tackle the rise in vaping and nicotine pouch use amongst young people
Executive summary
Smoking rates have fallen significantly in recent years, with the largest reduction in the last decade being seen amongst younger adults. Smoking prevalence decreased amongst 18-24 year olds, from 25.7% in 2011 to 8.1% in 2024.1
At the same time rates of vaping have increased – according to the ONS 13% of 16-24 year olds use a vape either daily or occasionally.
Alongside this shift in behaviour has been the development by the industry of new novel nicotine products such as nicotine pouches. Nicotine pouches are small sachets designed to be placed in the mouth between the upper lips and gums to release nicotine. They do not contain tobacco and fall outside the existing regulations – with no restrictions on age of sale, marketing and packaging.
This research finds evidence that the industry has been deliberately marketing nicotine pouches to young people.
Three quarters of those aged 14-17 surveyed said they had heard of nicotine pouches and nearly half had seen them advertised. Shops and social media were the most common places to view such adverts.
13% of those surveyed said they had used a nicotine pouch, with a third of these users saying they used them at least once a week.
Young people appear strongly in favour of additional measures to restrict the sale and marketing of such products, with the most popular measure being a ban on their sale to minors.
The Government’s Tobacco and Vapes Bill seeks to address this by giving Government powers to increase the regulation of such products. The powers include banning vaping products and nicotine pouches from being sold to under 18s, banning their free distribution, advertising, promotion along with sponsorship agreements and regulating flavours, packaging and displays.
Should the Bill as expected achieve Royal Assent, the Government should move quickly to exercise these powers to restrict access to and the use of nicotine pouches amongst young people.
In addition there needs to be investment in local Trading Standards to support enforcement action in relation to the powers within the Bill, funds for new research to build evidence on the potential harms of nicotine pouches, educational support for schools and teachers and the use of reforms in the Ten Year Health Plan to provide more co-ordinated support for those with nicotine addiction. At the national level a new public health policy on nicotine – similar to that on smoking – should be developed to support an effective co-ordinated response to novel nicotine products.
The message from young people is clear, the powers in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill provide a great platform for the Government to urgently act to tackle the promotion of nicotine pouches to young people and reduce recreational nicotine use.
Summary recommendations
Recommendations
National policy
- The Government should develop a public health policy on nicotine use that can be used to inform a coherent and co-ordinated policy response to nicotine pouches and other novel nicotine products
- The Government should move quickly to use the powers in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill to ban the promotion, marketing and sale of vapes and nicotine pouches to under 18s, eliminate shop and online promotions, along with sponsorship agreements with events and brands. The powers in the Bill should also be used to restrict the range of flavour descriptors used to market vapes and nicotine pouches
Local action and enforcement
- The Government should continue to increase investment in Trading Standards to build capacity to respond to the illicit market in nicotine pouches and vapes. The introduction of a tobacco and vaping licensing scheme will also help act as a lever to support enforcement action against non compliant business and actors
- Local authorities and local trading standards agencies should publish clear annual data on their levels of investment in tackling illicit market nicotine and vaping products, along with enforcement action taken
Health research and health services
- The National Institute for Health Research should commission studies both that understand (a) the clinical impacts of novel nicotine products such as nicotine pouches and (b) strategies and approaches that can best support young people to quit their nicotine use
- The NHS should use the role out of neighbourhood health services to improve access to co-ordinated support for young people that can help reduce youth vaping and novel nicotine use. Local health services and local authorities should use Government funding for Stop Smoking Services to support the evolution of such services from supporting people to go smokefree to nicotine free
- The Government and Royal Colleges working alongside partners such as the National Centre for Smoking Cessation and Training should publish materials supporting improvements in clinical education on smoking, vaping and nicotine addiction. Similar evidence-based guidelines for service planners should be rolled out across local authorities and the NHS
Schools
- The Department for Education should develop guidance for schools setting out information and evidence on novel nicotine products, including nicotine pouches, to help raise awareness amongst teachers and staff
- Questions examining nicotine dependence should be incorporated into relevant mental health and neurodiversity assessments of young people in schools
This research report from Future Health has been commissioned and funded by Kenvue* the makers of Nicorette®**. The report was authored by Future Health and the final content is editorially independent