Restricting flavoured vapes could harm smoking cessation efforts, finds study

From March to April 2023, the proportion of children experimenting with vaping had grown by 50 per cent year on year, from one in 13 to one in nine. Concerns about children becoming hooked on vapes has led the UK government to consider banning flavours to make them less attractive to young people.

Some countries have already restricted the sale of flavoured e-liquids, allowing only tobacco and menthol flavours. While these restrictions aim to reduce the appeal of vaping they may affect adults who use vapes to stop smoking.

In this study, researchers aimed to understand how UK adults who smoke, or used to smoke and now vape, feel about unflavoured e-liquids and how potential flavour restrictions might impact them.