The Potential Consequences of a Vape Flavours Ban

In this article...

How Can Flavoured E-Liquids Help Smokers Quit?
What you say about vape flavours
Potential Problems with Vape Flavour Bans
IBVTA Statement on Potential Disposable and Vape Flavour Bans
What the Government is Considering Regarding a Vape Flavour Ban
Alternatives To Flavour Restrictions
Why It's Important to Keep Vape Flavours

Vaping is proving to be an effective way to quit smoking. Reputable intuitions such as the NHS declare it to be, "One of the most effective tools for quitting smoking"[i]. A growing number of studies and reports suggest that flavoured e-liquids, especially the sweet and fruity ones, play a big role in helping smokers quit [ii,iii,i v,v i,vi i]. However, with concerns about young people being attracted to the sweet flavours of e-liquids, in addition to a disposable vapes ban, the Government is proposing a vape flavours ban, which will lead to certain vape juice flavours becoming unavailable.

This article looks at:

What the research says about the benefits of flavoured e-liquids for quitting smoking
The potential problems with flavour bans
Other ways to approach the issue.

How Can Flavoured E-Liquids Help Smokers Quit?

Studies and reports from the UK government and health organisations show that non-tobacco flavours, particularly the sweet ones, can make a big difference in helping smokers switch to vaping and eventually quit smoking altogether [ii], [iii]. A 2021 study found that people who vaped “sweet” flavours were more likely to quit smoking than those who used tobacco-flavoured e-cigarettes [iv].

It has been suggested that smokers who got help choosing the right e-cigarette flavour and received supportive text messages were 55% more likely to quit smoking [v]. After three months, almost a quarter of the participants who got this support had quit completely, and another 13% had cut down on their smoking by more than half [v]. This shows how important it is to give tailored advice and guidance on flavour selection to help more people quit smoking.

Interestingly, among those who successfully quit smoking and kept vaping, there was a noticeable shift away from tobacco flavours over time [iii].

The study found that while 23.5% of recent former smokers primarily used tobacco flavour, 33.3% used fruit, 15.4% used menthol/mint, and 14.7% used candy flavours. This suggests that non-tobacco flavours might be more appealing and helpful in staying smoke-free in the long run [iv].

The authors also noted that:

“While it does not appear that certain flavours are associated with a greater propensity to attempt to quit smoking among concurrent users, nontobacco flavours are popular among former smokers who are exclusively vaping.”

Nearly all exclusive vapers who recently quit smoking (91%) reported that vaping may help them stay cigarette free. A variety of flavours, including tobacco (99%), fruit (93.3%), menthol/mint (91.8%) and candy (72.8%) were endorsed by recent quitters for helping them stay smoke-free [iv].

The 2021 study pointed out that any government considering a ban on flavoured e-liquids should think carefully about how it might affect smokers trying to quit. The findings suggest that limiting access to non-tobacco flavours may reduce the appeal and satisfaction of vaping for many former smokers, potentially increasing risk of smoking relapse.

What you say about vape flavours

Customer testimonials highlight the crucial role that flavoured e-liquids play in helping smokers quit. One long-term Red Label Raspberry customer, Smithy, shares:

“This Raspberry E-Liquid I keep using as it was 1 of the flavours that kept me off the cig’s at the start of my vaping journey and still use it now for almost 10 years.”

Another customer, Adrian, who smoked for over 40 years, found success with Titan Cherry stating:

“I’ve been using this flavour for quite sometime(sic) now, For me it’s great and has helped me to stop smoking, I smoked for over 40 years and found totally wicked a great substitute for cigarettes.”

These real-life experiences underscore the importance of having a variety of flavoured e-liquids available to support smokers in their quit attempts.

Potential Problems with Vape Flavour Bans

There have been concerns raised about the unintended consequences of banning non-tobacco flavours in e-cigarettes. They suggest that such bans could actually have a negative impact on public health by leading to more cigarette smoking and people turning to illegal sources for their flavoured vapes.

Dr Jasmine Khouja, Senior Research Associate in the Tobacco and research Group at the University of Bristol, predicts that banning non-tobacco flavours in the UK could result in over half a million adult smokers and ex-smokers not quitting or starting to smoke again because they can’t get the flavoured e-liquids they prefer [vi].

A vape flavour ban could lead to a rise in smokers

Another study found that when several U.S. states banned certain e-cigarette products in late 2019, cigarette sales actually went up [vii]. The researchers estimated that an extra 3.4 million packs of cigarettes were sold across the three states during the 3-month ban period [vii]. A different study showed that for every 0.7 millilitres of e-liquid not sold because of flavour restrictions, an additional 15 traditional cigarettes were purchased [viii].

There’s also a risk that banning popular disposable vapes could push young people into a more dangerous illegal market, especially since some of them already have access to these illicit products [vi]. A study in Finland showed that even after banning all flavours except tobacco, people still found ways to get other flavours, which suggests that such bans might not be entirely effective [vi].

IBVTA Statement on Potential Disposable and Vape Flavour Bans

The Independent British Vape Trade Association (IBVTA) has expressed concerns about the potential consequences of banning single-use vapes and flavours. In a statement, IBVTA Chair, and Totally Wicked's CEO, Marcus Saxton said:

“Children and those who have not smoked should not be using vapes and the industry is making significant efforts and progress to protect children including launching an industry code of conduct and changes to product descriptors and flavour names. However, introducing bans on single-use vapes and flavours, will have hugely damaging consequences including making it harder for smokers to quit and will push those that have quit, back into smoking. Big tobacco will be rubbing its hands with glee in anticipation of possible vape bans.”[ix]

Saxton also warned that with an estimated third of the UK vape market comprising illicit products, any ban will simply benefit those pushing illegal and unregulated products as people seek out single-use and flavoured products from illicit sources [ix].

What the Government is Considering Regarding a Vape Flavour Ban

According to recent media reports, the UK government is looking at ways to tackle the issue of youth vaping. Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, expressed concerns about how e-cigarettes are marketed and designed in ways that can appeal to young people. [x].

Some of the ideas being discussed include:

Limiting flavours to just tobacco, mint, menthol, and fruit [x]
Hiding vapes from view in shops like cigarettes [xi]
Using plain packaging [xi]
Banning disposable vapes altogether [xi]
Adding a new tax to make e-cigarettes more expensive [xi]

While the Government’s intentions to tackle youth vaping are commendable, the proposed measures could have unintended consequences. Limiting flavours, banning disposables, and increasing taxes may discourage adult smokers from switching to less harmful alternatives and lead to the growth of an illicit market. Instead, the Government should explore alternative approaches that balance protecting youth and supporting adult smokers, such as targeted campaigns, risk-based regulation, and allowing flavoured vapes in specialist shops with age restrictions.

Alternatives To Flavour Restrictions

Rather than bringing in wide-reaching bans or restrictions, the UK government could look at different ways to address youth vaping without making it harder for smokers to quit or pushing people towards the dangerous illegal market [vi]. Some alternative ideas include:

Running public health campaigns and providing educational resources to help young people make informed decisions about vaping [vi].

Provide extensive assistance to help individuals successfully transition from smoking cigarettes to vaping, including personalised guidance on selecting the most suitable e-liquid flavours and devices. [v].

Following Canada’s example and only allowing flavoured vapes to be sold in specialist shops, as a way to balance protecting young people with helping adult smokers quit [xii].

Why It's Important to Keep Vape Flavours

The evidence from past and present studies and reports shows that flavoured e-liquids can play a vital role in helping smokers quit cigarettes and switch to vaping. While it’s important to protect children from getting addicted to nicotine, policymakers need to carefully think about the unintended consequences of overly strict rules, which could lead to more cigarette smoking and a shift to the illegal market.

Alternative approaches like public health campaigns, risk-based regulation, and selling flavoured vapes only in specialist shops could help tackle the problem without undermining the progress made in reducing smoking rates.

You now have the opportunity to directly influence government policy on this critical issue by signing the official petition below. It calls for vape regulations that avoid blanket flavour bans, which could drive vapers back to smoking and increase youth access to illegal products.

If this petition reaches 100,000 signatures, the government must provide an official response and consider debating it in Parliament. This is a real chance to ensure any new vaping laws are grounded in science and prioritize public health.

Please take just a minute to add your name and help reach this important milestone. Encourage your friends and family to sign as well – every signature brings us one step closer to saving lives through smart vape regulation.