The newly enacted Vaping Products Ordinance 2025 by the States of Guernsey, set to take effect from March 31, 2026, presents significant challenges for parents who choose to visit specialist vape shops with their families. This regulation prohibits children from entering these establishments, potentially disrupting family dynamics and imposing unreasonable constraints on parents who use vaping as a means to remain smoke-free.

As a community, we understand and support measures aimed at protecting our youth from the possible harms associated with vaping and tobacco products. However, the complete exclusion of children from vape shops overlooks the needs of families who use these spaces responsibly. It denies parents the right to a shared shopping experience and complicates the transition for those shifting from smoking to vaping—a method many have successfully used to quit smoking.

Parents who juggle childcare responsibilities while making health-conscious decisions for themselves face logistical challenges with the new restriction. Shopping with children is often a necessity, not a choice, for many families. Denying parents the option to visit vape shops accompanied by their children might discourage some from continuing with vaping, potentially leading them back to smoking, with its well-documented health risks.

We propose that accompanied children be permitted in vape shops, so long as they are under the close supervision of their guardians. This compromise allows adults the continued convenience of choosing how and when to make their purchases while ensuring children remain safe and informed through supervised visits.

Let's balance safeguarding children and upholding parental rights. Join us in calling for an amendment to the Vaping Products Ordinance 2025. Sign this petition to urge the States of Guernsey to reconsider and allow accompanied children back into our specialist vape shops.