East Yorkshire teacher calls for tougher rules on vaping
His campaign has reached over 40,000 signatures as he tries to open a discussion around the use of e-cigarettes in public
Last updated 17th May 2024
A campaign, launched by a teacher from East Yorkshire has reached over 40,000 signatures.
It's as the Government announced plans earlier this year to ban disposable vapes in England by 2025, saying that there's been a huge rise in the number of children and young people picking up the habit.
The Government say that "disposable vapes have a very short life span, as well as encouraging youth vaping they are harmful to the environment".
Nick Riggs, who is behind the change.org petition tells us he started the campaign after feeling vaping has become a "social past time" instead of being used to help long-term smokers cut down.
Nick says they come in "exciting fruit flavours, and brightly coloured with flashing lights or necklaces. It's no longer a medication"
He adds "It's supposed to be a medication and should really taken privately, there's no excuse for walking down the street, breathing vape onto other people".
"I'd like vaping to become something that's done in private, or designated areas - not walking down the street, not done on trains and not outside cafes or pubs".
Critics to the petition have commented online saying they think the risks of vaping have been "exaggerated" adding that the use of e-cigarettes have "helped thousands of people quit smoking".
But Nick tells us he's "amazed" on the whole at the response he's received from people all across the UK and says it "encouraging" to hear others feel the same he does.