A new government crackdown on vape marketing will prevent the “unacceptable” targeting of children and young people, Rishi Sunak has said. Ministers have pledged to close a loophole in the law in England which allows retailers to give free samples of vapes to children. NHS figures from 2021 showed that 9% of 11-15 year olds used e-cigarettes, up from 6% in 2018. The prime minister said he was “shocked by reports of illicit vapes containing lead getting into the hands of schoolchildren.”.