The government has launched a public consultation on youth vaping as part of a series of measures proposed by the the Prime Minister to create a 'smoke-free generation'.
Professor Sanjay Agrawal, chair of the Royal College of Physicians Tobacco Advisory Group, said:
"Smoking causes one in four cancer deaths as well as lung disease, heart disease, dementia and stroke. E-cigarettes have been a gamechanger in the fight against addiction - but we know there has been a concerning increase in use among young people who have never smoked.
"The consultation published today is welcome to consider how we can stop the uptake of vaping among children and never-smokers while avoiding potential unintended consequences that discourage adult smokers from quitting."
Last week, at the Conservative party conference, the Prime Minister announced his vision to create a 'smoke-free generation' through measures including a new law which will end the sale of cigarettes to those born on or after 1 January 2009. The RCP welcomed the plans.
RCP previously called for measures designed to limit the appeal of vaping products to children, including price increases for disposable vaping products, restrictions on naming flavours, and the use of plain packaging.
Our Smoking and Health 2021 report recommended restoring mass media campaign funding and opt-out smoking cessation services at any point of NHS contact.