Vape adverts on soccer shirts set to be banned in bid to guard children
Ministers are set introduce plans to restrict vape adverts and sponsorships featuring on sports shirts, MPs heard.
Health Minister Dame Andrea Leadsom confirmed she will be bringing forward proposals to address concerns around vape advertisements as young people increasingly take up the habit. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which is currently passing through Parliament, is set to ban the sale of cigarettes to people born after 2009 and make vaping less attractive to young people.
SNP MP Kirsten Oswald has called for an amendment to the legislation to prohibit sponsorship agreements linked to vaping substances containing nicotine. It seeks to ban the advertising of vapes on sports strips and in sports venues.
In a committee debate on the bill on Tuesday, Dame Andrea said she was “mindful of the Committee’s clear desire for the rules on advertising and sponsorship to be equally strong for both tobacco and vapes”. She said she “commits right now to explore formal steps we can take to further restrict vape advertising and sponsorship” in relation to Ms Oswald’s amendment.
Pressed on what this meant, she added: “I would like to give the reassurance that I will be coming forward with proposals from the Government to address the issues that have been raised.”
Speaking after Dame Andrea’s commitment, Ms Oswald said: “Having campaigned for almost two years now to raise awareness of the detrimental impact of vapes on young people and, in particular, ban vape branding in sports, I am very pleased that the UK government has now recognised the need for action on this issue. I look forward to seeing the proposals they have committed to putting forward on this.
“Given this legislation aims to make vaping less attractive to young people, it makes sense to take steps to limit children’s exposure to vapes – and that means ensuring their favourite football team or sports star cannot advertise vapes, as they cannot with cigarettes.”
Ms Oswald, the East Renfrewshire MP, has been campaigning since 2022 to raise awareness of the detrimental impacts of vaping on children. She has previously called out sponsorship deals between sports clubs and vape brands, including the deal between Blackburn Rovers and Totally Wicked.
Earlier this month Rishi Sunak refused to ban football shirts with vape company logos after Ms Oswald raised concerns in PMQs. The PM said advertising decisions were up to individual teams. This is despite despite Premier League clubs banning gambling sponsors from being featured on the front of match-day shirts from the summer of 2026, after pressure from MPs.
