A study carried out in December by researchers from the University of Missouri and Yale School of Public Health concluded that restrictions on vape flavour sales were associated with reduced vaping among adults, but may have unintentionally increased traditional cigarette smoking thus potentially hindering public health gains.
Professor of economics at Mizzou, Michael Pesko said, “Our study finds flavoured e-cigarette restrictions have the unintended effect of sizably increasing cigarette use. This is not good from a public health perspective because cigarettes are far more dangerous products.” “E-cigarette flavour restrictions have the opposite effect of pushing many people towards more harmful tobacco.”
The study also showed that Maryland’s exception on menthol flavours from a flavour ban led to a decline in smoking and vaping rates, indicating that more subtle rules might work better than absolute prohibitions. Pesko highlighted that rather than pushing vapers back towards traditional cigarettes, policies should promote changes towards less harmful alternatives.
Across the European Union (EU), Ministers have been deliberating an EU-wide flavour ban on all nicotine-containing products. Following recent research, the UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) have warned that placing a ban on flavoured vapes and nicotine products could push vapers back to traditional cigarettes, undoing the vast amount of progress made in reducing smoking rates and harm reduction.
Findings from the research: 36% of vapers said they would return to smoking and 10% of vapers who have never smoked said they would start smoking cigarettes if flavours were prohibited.
US Smoking Rates at Their Lowest Thanks to Vapes
A Gallup poll from August of last year highlighted that traditional cigarette smoking in the US had dropped to an 80-year low of 11%.
A key reason for this large decline in smoking is that young adults are more likely to use e-cigarettes, with an average of only 6% of adults under 30 stating they had smoked over the past 3 years, compared to 35% of young adults between 2001 and 2003.
Michael Landl, Director of the World Vapers’ Alliance commented on the Gallup poll that despite the US being ‘on the verge of having a smoke-free Gen Z generation’, vaping is still discredited. “Vaping is not a gateway to smoking; it’s a gateway away from smoking. Harm reduction works.”
During his 2024 presidential campaign, current US President Donald Trump promised to protect vape flavours. Posted on September 20th on his Truth Social account, Trump stated, “I saved vaping in 2019, and it greatly helped people get off smoking. I raised the age to 21, keeping it away from the ‘kids’. Kamala and Joe want everything banned, killing small businesses all over the country. I’ll save vaping again!”
Canada Put Vape Flavour Ban on Hold
Despite previous government officials’ promises that it was a priority, Canada’s proposed nationwide ban on vape flavours has now been suspended for 2025. The restrictions, which would have banned all vape flavours other than menthol, mint and tobacco, were only months ago promised by Minister of Health and Addictions, Ya’are Saks, who at the time said, “I am seized with this. We do want to get this out as quickly as possible.” Recent conversations with health advocacy organisations indicate that the federal government is no longer focused on the ban.
The temporary suspension comes after a newly published study examining the importance of flavoured vapes in aiding smokers to quit traditional cigarettes. 68% of Canadian smokers who successfully made the switch to vaping did so with flavoured e-liquids, with fruit flavours being the most popular choice (39.5% of users), according to the team of experts who wrote the study, including Professor David Sweanor, renowned smoking cessation expert from the University of Ottowa. Additionally, one in five Canadian smokers who were trying to quit, used vaping as a cessation method between 2020 and 2022.
ASH – You Can’t Ignore the Figures
According to a recent report published by Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), smoking costs society in England £43.7 billion a year – greatly exceeding the £6.8 billion raised through tobacco taxes.
As stated in the findings from the report, tobacco smoking leads to a loss of £27.6 billion in lost economic productivity due to smokers being too ill to work and premature death. In addition to this, with £1.82 billion spent on NHS treatments and £13.9 billion in social care expenditures paid for by local authorities, it puts a heavy burden on public services financially. Furthermore, smoking-related fire-related damages account for an extra £332 million in annual damages.
ASH cautions that smoking will continue to be a significant barrier to economic growth unless immediate action is taken. By passing the Tobacco and Vapes Bill and putting in place a clear plan to create a smoke-free nation, the government is urged by the report to step up its efforts to lower smoking rates.
Additionally, the study emphasises how smoking disproportionately affects areas that are economically challenged. Compared to just 6.2% in the least deprived districts, smoking rates reach 21.7% in the most deprived local authorities. ASH contends that more funding for smoking cessation initiatives might help these regions greatly in terms of both economic stability and public health.
ASH emphasises that smokers, not tobacco firms, pay tobacco taxes. The organisation is advocating for a “polluter pay” levy on tobacco manufacturers in order to rectify this disparity. This levy would force companies to make direct contributions to raise funding for smoking cessation initiatives, instead of passing expenses onto smokers.
“These figures show conclusively that tobacco should play no part in our country’s future. Tobacco companies make massive profits selling a lethal addiction which puts pressure on vital public services and the economy. A levy on the tobacco industry is urgently needed to accelerate progress towards a smokefree future, ending the harms from smoking for good.”
Hazel Cheeseman, Chief Executive of ASH
