Millions of vapers could switch back to cigarettes if ministers restrict certain flavours, industry warns
UP to three million vapers could switch back to cigarettes if ministers restrict certain flavours, the industry has warned.
Customer research by VPZ — the UK’s largest retailer of the electronic puffers — said 93.1 per cent of former smokers credited the e-cigs with kicking the habit.
Some 55 per cent of all surveyed said they used sweet and fruity flavours to help them give up fags.
New government anti-smoking laws will give ministers powers to ban certain flavours that directly appeal to children.
While the specific fluids at risk are yet to be confirmed, they will likely include ones like candy floss and bubblegum.
But VPZ boss Grieg Fowler warned a side-effect could be driving ex-smokers back to cigarettes or into buying black market vapes.
He said: “Flavours are not just a preference, but a lifeline for people who look to quit smoking.
“We are extremely concerned about the future of those 3 million UK vapers and ex-smokers who have relied on flavoured vaping products to make the life-saving switch from smoking to vaping.
“Limiting their options will not only take away a proven harm-reduction tool but also risk sending them back to the far more dangerous habits of smoking cigarettes or using illicit products.”
What are the new vape laws?
Ministers have pledged to crackdown on poorly regulated vapes and e-cigarettes following an explosion in the number of teenagers who use them.
New rules for manufacturers and shopkeepers are expected to come into force in late 2024 or early 2025.
They are set to include:
- Higher tax rates paid on vapes increase the price and make it harder for children to afford them
- A ban on single-use vapes in favour of devices that can be recharged
- A ban on colourful and cartoonish packaging that may appeal to youngsters
- Tighter controls on flavourings and a ban on unnecessarily sweet or child-friendly ones like bubblegum and candy
- More regulation on how and where they are displayed in shops, potentially putting them out of sight
- Harsher penalties for shops caught selling them to under-18s
The ban on disposable vapes is part of ambitious government plans to tackle the rise in youth vaping.
A report published by Action on Smoking and Health (Ash) last June found 20.5 per cent of children in the UK had tried vaping in 2023, up from 15.8 per cent in 2022 and 13.9 per cent in 2020.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt also announced plans to impose a tax on imported e-cigs and manufacturers, making vapes more expensive.
The duty will apply to the liquid in vapes, with higher levels for products with more nicotine.