British lawmakers are under increasing pressure to ban disposable e-cigarettes outright amid concerns about their growing popularity among young people and doubts over regulators' ability to rein in the fast-growing industry.
The government's call to collect evidence on vaping and young people in England ends on June 6, with measures expected to crack down on illicit e-cigarette sales, as well as the marketing and distribution of relatively cheap single-use e-cigarettes.
The latter is of particular concern, one administration official said. They said: "Some marketing and branding was pretty bad - it looked like a candy store.
Some health groups have broader concerns about the government's approach, raised by junior health minister Neil O'Brien in a speech last month, to encourage the use of e-cigarettes as an alternative to traditional tobacco products and plans for a "swapping cessation". , a scheme that provides free vaping starter kits to one million smokers in England.
They argue that the relatively short history of vaping means that little is known about the long-term health effects, and that there is similarly limited evidence on the effectiveness of vaping as a smoking cessation method, with countries such as Australia allowing vaping only by prescription.
The most immediate battle is likely to be over disposable e-cigarettes, now chosen by more than half of young people who vape.