What is the legal age to vape in the UK?

Since its introduction, vaping has become a popular alternative to smoking. As a relatively new arrival to the scene, the rules around its legal use aren’t as well-known as other products. So, what is the legal age to vape in the UK? And what other vaping laws should you know about?

Here, we’ve compiled a quick list of all the important information you need to know. Let’s take a look:

What is the legal vaping age in the UK?

You must be 18 or over to use or purchase e-cigarettes or e-liquids in the UK. The UK government updated the laws on the sale of tobacco and vaping products on 1st of October 2015. This made it illegal for e-cigarette retailers to sell vaping products to anyone under the age of 18. It also made it illegal for someone 18 or over to purchase vaping products on the behalf of anyone underage.

How does the legal age to vape differ to traditional cigarettes?

The legal age to purchase both traditional cigarettes and e-cigarettes in the UK is the same, you must be over 18 years of age for both products.  However, some social restrictions differ with smoking cigarettes in public enclosed spaces being banned in 2007. The use of e-cigarettes indoors is not included in this ban, though it’s still strictly limited by many public indoor spaces.

What are the vape age laws around the world?

The age you are legally considered an adult varies from country to county, in general most nations use this as a guide for being able to vape responsibly. In France, Sweden, Germany and most of Europe the legal age to vape is 18, in Japan it’s also 18, and in the US and Canada the legal vaping age is 18 with the exception of a number of states and provinces.

How have vaping laws changed over the years?

It’s been over ten years since e-cigarettes first entered the UK scene, and in that time they’ve seen a rise in popularity among many ex-smokers. Most high quality e-liquids contain nicotine but vary considerably from the dangerous chemicals found in traditional tobacco products. As such, the UK government has overseen many years of research into the effects of e-liquids, and has enforced new regulations over time to keep vapers safe.

At Vuse, we meet all government regulations.

As most countries regard vaping as a form of smoking, it’s a good practice to expect most of the rules that are enforced for tobacco products, such as the legal age to vape, to also apply to e-cigarettes too. One of the main differences is the rules around vaping indoors. You can check out this post to find out more.