BELFAST Metropolis Council has responded to a UK-wide session on vaping and tobacco by proposing vapes ought to solely be offered from behind the counter and with “unattractive” flavours.

The ‘Smokefree Era’ session was revealed final month by the UK Division of Well being and Social Care, in partnership with the Division of Well being in Northern Eire.

It makes proposals for restrictions on the sale of tobacco and vapes, together with a proposed UK-wide ban on the sale of disposable vape merchandise.

In April 2023, the council agreed to convene a working group with the NI Division of Well being, the Public Well being Company and the PSNI to contemplate measures to strengthen present laws and enforcement, together with the consideration of a ban on the sale of disposable vapes.

Using vapes by under-18s on all council websites has been banned.

On the council’s current month-to-month assembly of its Folks and Communities Committee, elected members authorised the council officer’s reply to the session.

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The British authorities is proposing to deliver ahead laws making it an offence to promote tobacco merchandise to anybody born on or after January 1 2009. In impact, the legislation will cease youngsters turning 14 or youthful this 12 months from ever legally being offered tobacco merchandise.

The session additionally units out proposed measures to handle youth vaping, together with limiting flavours, regulating level of sale shows, regulating packaging and presentation and contemplating limiting the provision and sale of disposable vapes. It additionally proposes consideration of whether or not laws ought to lengthen to non-nicotine vapes.

The Belfast Metropolis Council response states it’s “of the opinion that mandatory age identification checks should be introduced along with this legislation to ensure that retailers operate a mandatory no ID, no sale policy to prevent anyone born on/after the 1st January 2009 from purchasing vapes.

“The acceptable forms of ID should be specified. In addition, online age verification must be enhanced to stop underage sales of tobacco products and vapes online.”

The council also argues vapes – which it agrees can “have a task in smoking cessation” – should be reduced to tobacco flavours only and sold in plain standardised packaging.

“Proscribing flavours will make vapes unattractive and stop uptake and keep away from future habit in younger folks,” the council response states, adding that vaping devices should be kept behind shop counters and not on display.

Meanwhile, the council argues that a negative registration scheme for retailers selling vapes should be introduced.

“This would provide councils with a comprehensive list of retailers who sell vapes without the excessive cost or administrative burden for both businesses and councils that a licensing scheme would likely introduce,” the response provides.

“The council doesn’t agree that exemptions must be made for specialist vape retailers. Not like specialist tobacco retailers, that are uncommon, there are a big quantity/proliferation of specialist vape retailers.”

On disposable vapes, the council argues that gross sales must be prohibited.

“There may be anecdotal proof to counsel that disposable vapes are sometimes incorrectly disposed of in family waste and recycling bins, in addition to in road litter bins,” the response adds.

“Given their discrete dimension, disposable vapes typically go undetected inside family waste and recycling streams, till it’s too late to take care of them appropriately.”

The committee additionally agreed a proposal by Alliance councillor Micky Murray to name for the restrict of nicotine in different tobacco merchandise to be lowered to 0.8milligrams.