66% May Go Back To Smoking
Two Thirds of Ex-Smokers will return to tobacco if the Government restricts vape flavours according to a survey conducted by Evapo
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by Dave Cross
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Evapo, a leading smoking cessation and specialist vaping company, has conducted a survey involving 1,134 participants and found that nearly two thirds of ex-smokers will return to tobacco if the Government restrict vape flavours. The restrictions, proposed earlier this year, are designed to deter children from vaping, but as the research shows, any restrictions on vape flavours could have major unintended consequences and would likely add to the 250 deaths from smoking recorded every day in the UK.
The Government introduced its Tobacco and Vapes Bill to Parliament, announcing measures to increase the restrictions place on vaping. In its bid to make vapes ‘less appealing and accessible to young people’, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his Department of Health team are pushing for eliquid flavours to be limited to just four types, banning flavours such as different fruits or desserts.
They claim cake, pudding and fruit flavours are “appealing to children”.
The Conservatives are still to add flesh to the bone and detail what form the flavour bans will take – typical of all policy decisions these days.
The UK Vaping Industry Association says: “While the full scope of these restrictions is not yet known, there is still time for amendments to be made and further consultation will allow us to exhibit the negative impact that such a ban could have.
“The Government’s view is that fruit and dessert flavours may inadvertently attract children, but the survey revealed that 71% of people over the age of 45 prefer these flavours.
“Vaping is well known to be the most effective way for smokers to quit and 75% of those surveyed said they had successfully quit, while a further 18% had cut down. Furthermore, 81% believe that flavour restrictions would negatively impact individuals trying to switch from smoking to vaping.”
Evapo, the vape company that conducted the survey, said: “Although the Government claimed in their response to a recent petition against vape flavour bans that they “will be mindful of the role flavours can play in helping adult smokers to quit”, their continued support of such drastic action is concerning.
Our survey revealed that, contrary perhaps to public perception, 71% of people over the age of 45 vape fruit and dessert flavours. This suggests that, despite the ban and restrictions being proposed to protect the youth, the ramifications will be much more far reaching.”
Andrej Kuttruf, CEO of Evapo, said “We recognise the government’s concerns regarding youth vaping and are committed to responsible practices that protect minors. However, it’s crucial that these proposed measures do not inadvertently hinder adults’ access to safer alternatives to tobacco.
He added: “Our survey clearly shows that a vast majority of vapers rely on a variety of flavours to remain smoke-free. We urge policymakers to consider these insights as they debate the upcoming Tobacco & Vapes Bill and to incorporate Public Health England’s view that vaping is 95% less harmful than tobacco”.
References:
The Evapo survey - https://evapo.co.uk/blog/vape-flavour-ban-could-drive-most-ex-smokers-back-to-cigarettes
Photo Credit:
Photo by Sierra Alpha Juliet on Unsplash
Dave Cross
Journalist at POTVDave is a freelance writer; with articles on music, motorbikes, football, pop-science, vaping and tobacco harm reduction in Sounds, Melody Maker, UBG, AWoL, Bike, When Saturday Comes, Vape News Magazine, and syndicated across the Johnston Press group. He was published in an anthology of “Greatest Football Writing”, but still believes this was a mistake. Dave contributes sketches to comedy shows and used to co-host a radio sketch show. He’s worked with numerous start-ups to develop content for their websites.
