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Vaping is considered by many scientific and medical experts to be the most successful smoking cessation tool for adult smokers who would otherwise continue to smoke. Furthermore, it is hailed by many scientific institutions as being a 95% less harmful alternative to conventional cigarettes. Non-tobacco vape flavours and nicotine pouches are an integral part of any harm reduction strategy as they are crucial to help adult smokers quit but also to help ensure that they stay away from cigarettes. It is estimated that two-thirds of adult vapers use flavours other than tobacco, which means that flavour bans can potentially push them back to smoking or to seeking flavours in the black market. [1]

Moreover, according to the UK National Health Service, “while nicotine is the addictive substance in cigarettes, most of the harm from smoking comes from the thousands of other chemicals in tobacco smoke, many of which are toxic. Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) has been widely used for many years to help people stop smoking and is a safe treatment.” [2]

The newest 2021 Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) UK report states that “only 0.3% of never-smokers are current vapers (amounting to 2.9% of vapers).” [3] Most vapers are former smokers who used flavoured e-cigarettes to quit smoking. Therefore, there is a need for balanced regulation to create more opportunities for adult smokers to quit traditional cigarettes, including supporting a variety of flavours that play a crucial role in the process.

[1] Gravely et al., The Association of E-cigarette Flavors With Satisfaction, Enjoyment, and Trying to Quit or Stay Abstinent From Smoking Among Regular Adult Vapers, Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 2020 https://doi.org/10.1093/ntr/ntaa095

[2] Using e-cigarettes to stop smoking, National Health Service https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/quit-smoking/using-e-cigarettes-to-stop-smoking/

[3] Use of e-cigarettes (vapes) among adults in Great Britain, Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) the UK, https://ash.org.uk/uploads/Use-of-e-cigarettes-vapes-among-adults-in-Great-Britain-2021.pdf