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The Story

How vaping took over Britain

The Story

The Times

News, Investigative Reporting, Long-form Audio, Current Affairs, In-depth Journalism, Daily News, Audio Storytelling, Daily News Podcast, Global News, Politics, Uk News, News Analysis, Exclusive Interviews

3.91.6K Ratings

🗓️ 13 March 2023

⏱️ 27 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

They are supposed to help adults quit smoking – so why is a Willy Wonka array of disposable vapes being mass marketed to children? The Chartered Trading Standards Institute wants tougher penalties for those selling to under-18s. Just how did vaping get so big in Britain?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: thetimes.co.uk/storiesofourtimes.

Guest: Josh Glancy, Special Correspondent, The Sunday Times. 

Host: Luke Jones. 

Clips: BBC News, Sky News, Channel 4 News.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.


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Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

If you might have been in this situation too, you're walking down the street, minding

0:12.3

your own business.

0:13.4

When from the person in front a cloud hits you, a huge mist, not of tobacco as you might

0:20.0

usually expect, but of sickly sweet raspberry or bubblegum flavour or synthetic cookie, it

0:28.5

seems at the moment you can't move for vaping.

0:33.8

Sales of disposable vapes are booming, multi-coloured, multi-flavored, low-cost, highly-addictive

0:39.9

and crucially disposable.

0:43.5

Everywhere vapes shops are popping up with row upon row of the garish multi-coloured

0:47.6

things, and vapes are attracting more than just people who are looking to get up smoking,

0:52.0

but are they as innocuous as they seem?

0:54.6

The consensus is, it's almost definitely not as bad as smoking, but quite how much healthier

1:01.2

it really does depend who you ask.

1:05.7

And as more and more young people get into it, should there be better regulation?

1:10.5

The Charter Trading Standards Institute has called for urgent support from the government

1:15.3

with extra staff needed and tougher penalties for retailers selling to under 18s.

1:22.4

People listen just stories of our times from the times and the Sunday times.

1:25.9

I'm Luke Jones.

1:26.9

Today, how vaping took over Britain.

1:43.8

I'm Josh Glancy.

1:44.8

I am special correspondent for the Sunday Times.

1:48.4

Are you a smoker?

1:51.0

Only when I've had slightly too many drinks.

...

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