Action on vapes
Consultation on packaging, appearance and display of tobacco and vaping products.
Views are being sought on proposals aimed at restricting the appearance of tobacco, vaping and nicotine products and how they are packaged and displayed in shops in Scotland to make them less enticing to children and young people.
The consultation fulfils a 100-day Scottish Government commitment and builds on government action to reduce preventable deaths from smoking and introduce tougher measures on vaping, including the introduction of a ban on the sale of single-use vapes last year.
Public Health Minister Maree Todd said:
“Scotland has been a world-leader on a range of tobacco control measures, and while there has been a steady reduction in smoking rates, we know it still damages lives and kills more than 7,000 people a year in Scotland.
“The use of vapes has increased in recent years, particularly among children and young people – with almost one in five children saying they have tried vaping.
“We know that colourful packaging and displays are used as an enticement to children and young people, which is why we are taking action and consulting on options to address this issue.
"We urge everyone to have their say on how these products are marketed and sold in the future to help protect children and young people and reduce preventable harm in Scotland.”
Chief Medical Officer Gregor Smith said:
“This is a vital step to protect public health and support Scotland’s aim of a tobacco-free generation by 2034. Scotland’s ‘Tobacco and Vaping Framework and Population Health Framework’ place a strong emphasis on prevention and reducing the use of health-harming products, including tobacco and nicotine.
“Action on how these products are promoted is central to that aim, and the Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026 provides a strengthened legislative basis for action. This work will help reduce health harms, address health inequalities, and respond proportionately to emerging risks from vaping.”
Public Health Scotland Consultant in Public Health, Dr Garth Reid said:
“Public Health Scotland welcomes the Four Nations consultation on the packaging, appearance and display of tobacco and vaping products.
“We strongly support the ambition to reduce the appeal, accessibility and normalisation of products that cause significant harm to population health. The proposals represent a timely and evidence‑informed extension of existing tobacco control measures, and they align with Scotland’s goal of achieving a tobacco‑free generation.”
Background:
The consultation will run from 10 July 2026 for 12 weeks.
It follows passing of the UK-wide Tobacco and Vapes Act earlier this year, which made it an offence to sell tobacco products to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009 and included new powers to regulate the displays, contents, flavours and retail packaging of vapes and nicotine products.