Marketing of vapes to children ‘utterly unacceptable’, says Chris Whitty

England's chief medical officer voices concern as vape use among 11- to 17-year-olds doubles in two years

Children are being targeted with appalling" and utterly unacceptable" marketing of vapes, England's chief medical officer has warned as he called for urgent action to reverse a rise in the number of adolescents vaping.

Although it is illegal to sell vapes to under-18s, national surveys suggest the proportion of children aged 11 to 17 who vape has nearly doubled in just two years. In 2022, the figure was 7% - up from 4% in 2020, according to a YouGov survey for Action on Smoking and Health.