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Tackling underage vaping is one of the most pressing issues for young people in Caerphilly, according to the county borough’s Youth Forum.
Caerphilly Council’s cabinet heard on Wednesday how young people are worried about the “accessibility and affordability” of vapes in shops, and about a “lack of age identification checks”.
What is Caerphilly County Borough Council’s cabinet?
A council’s cabinet is made up of councillors in charge of different policy areas – such as education, environment, local economy, etc – and a leader.
It is separate to the council’s corporate management structure, which is headed up by its chief executive and various directors. Cabinet is made up of councillors, who are elected and have the ultimate say.
Typically, cabinet members are councillors from the party with the most elected council members.
Caerphilly County Borough Council’s cabinet is made up of:
- Cllr Sean Morgan (Nelson) – Leader
- Cllr Jamie Pritchard (Morgan Jones) – Deputy Leader; Prosperity, Regeneration and Climate Change
- Cllr Nigel George (Risca East) – Corporate Services and Property
- Cllr Eluned Stenner (New Tredegar) – Finance and Performance
- Cllr Carol Andrews (Gilfach) – Education and Communities
- Cllr Shayne Cook (Morgan Jones) – Housing
- Cllr Elaine Forehead (Van) – Social Care
- Cllr Philippa Leonard (Risca East) – Planning and Public Protection
- Cllr Chris Morgan (Machen and Rudry) – Waste, Leisure and Green Spaces
Corporate management is made up of unelected employees of the council and has responsibility for day-to-day management of services, such as making sure the bins are collected. Corporate directors work with cabinet members to come up with policy which is then agreed upon by the cabinet.
Last updated October 13, 2023
A member of the Youth Forum told the meeting about the “peer pressure and normalisation of vaping among young people”, including pupils vaping on school buses.
The flavours and colours of vapes had an “appeal” to younger people, the cabinet members heard.
The council’s Youth Forum group is planning a new project to address this “priority issue” for 2024.
Their work begins while the issue also comes under national scrutiny, as the UK and Welsh governments both pursue bans on disposable vapes as part of new anti-smoking legislation.
Cabinet members including council leader Sean Morgan praised the Youth Forum for highlighting the issue.
Cllr Morgan agreed brightly-coloured vapes with “tutti-frutti flavours” could appeal to young children, something he called a “great concern to many people”.
Cabinet members heard vaping was “very prevalent in schools across the area”.
Cllr Morgan said reports of pupils vaping on buses was “something our school transport department can take a look at”.
He also suggested young people could add to the national conversation around vaping by pursuing a petition to the Welsh Parliament, calling for action.
With Caerphilly’s Youth Forum alone containing 2,500 members, the 10,000 threshold for having petitions debated in the Senedd could easily be achieved if the group was to “unite” with their counterparts in other areas of Wales, Cllr Morgan said.
Other issues shortlisted by the Youth Forum following this year’s conference were the need to spread advice about the cost of living, community safety on public transport and at night, educating young people about body positivity, and the desire for more bins to discourage littering.
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