- Former First Minister compares vaping restrictions to his historic smoking legislation
- Lord McConnell calls for new Public Health Minister to consider indoor ban
Enlighten, the independent public policy institute which works to promote increased economic prosperity, opportunity for all, and more effective public services, today releases an article written by Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale which calls for the new Scottish Parliament to collaborate on vaping restrictions as it did more than 20 years ago on smoking restrictions.
As First Minister, Lord McConnell led the campaign to ban smoking in public places, which has led to a halving of smoking and a 17 per cent reduction on hospital admissions.
With evidence that 10 per cent of 15 year olds now vape – people who were not born when the smoking ban came into force – Lord McConnell is now calling for Parliament to unite again in “a serious attempt to boost public health and improve life chances”
Lord McConnell said:
“Companies who profit most from increased sales of vapes use exploitative marketing to create a new addiction for this generation, just as their predecessors did with smoking.
“Passing a controversial law such as the smoking ban, against well-funded tough opposition, required a great deal of working across party and sector lines.
“That same consensus building is required again now, and there are positive signs. Nearly all party manifestos recognised some of the dangers associated with vaping: the worrying increase in use amongst young people, and the need for restrictions on displays and promotions.
“The new Scottish Government, and its Public Health Minister Maree Todd, should lead discussions examining the potential of a ban on the use of vapes indoors and strengthening protections for children while punishing those who are exploiting young users.
“In recent years the Parliament and our political parties have often been too quick to be tribal, to retreat to short-term partisan politics, rather than working together for the good of the country.
“There will again be vested interests opposed to these health measures, just as there were 20 years ago. But if our politicians and society can work together, we can prevent the harm done by decades of inaction on smoking being repeated again.”
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
- Lord McConnell’s article can be read here.
- Enlighten is a public policy institute which works to promote increased economic prosperity, opportunity for all, and more effective public services. Enlighten is independent of political parties and any other organisations. It is funded by donations from private individuals, charitable trusts and corporate organisations. Its Director is Chris Deerin and Alison Payne is the Research Director. Both work closely with the Trustee Board, chaired by Lord McConnell, which meets regularly to review the research and policy programme.
- The following are the comments on vaping in the different 2026 party manifestos:
- SNP: “Smoking is a huge burden on our NHS and social care services and contributes significantly to health inequalities. Research also suggests that almost one in five young people have tried vaping and the colourful packaging and flavours used by retailers act as an enticement to children and young people…As a result, we will introduce a Vape Display Ban, treating the display of vapes in the same way as tobacco products, including banning the advertising, promotion and retail visibility of vapes and nicotine pouches.”
- Scottish Conservatives: “People taking up vaping instead of smoking is one of the reasons smoking numbers have been in decline and that is welcome. However, the number of children taking up vaping is of increasing concern and we would work with schools to discourage this behaviour. We also support the ban on disposable vapes and want to see tougher enforcement against those who break the rules regarding the sale of vapes in Scotland” Scottish Conservatives
- Scottish Labour: “Expanding smoking cessation programmes, preventing the promotion of vaping to non-smokers and young people, and gathering more robust data on the rate of young people taking up smoking and vaping.”
- Scottish Greens: “We will protect young people from the effects of smoking, ensure people can access support to stop smoking wherever they live and ensure that nicotine cannot be advertised in the form of vapes and nicotine pouches….. Ban smoking and vaping outside schools and in playparks, and support legislation at a UK wide level to ban advertising and promotions, flavours, colours and branding on all vapes and nicotine pouches.”
- Scottish Liberal Democrats: “Backing restrictions on the marketing of vapes to reflect their role as a tool for smoking cessation and limit their appeal to non-smokers and young people, removing flavourings and influencer promotions, introducing stricter rules for retailers, revamping public health campaigns, and backing further research into their health effects”
- For Enlighten media contact Andy Maciver, [email protected], 07855 261 244