Forcing retailers to sell vapes in plain packaging would drive former adult smokers back to cigarettes warns UKVIA

UKVIA Director General John Dunne has warned that selling vapes in cigarette-style plain packaging would encourage more ex-smokers back to cigarettes.

He was speaking after a new study from UCL and King’s College London claimed that plain packaging would reduce youth appeal but not stop adult smokers to switching to the reduced risk alternative.

John said: “The last thing we need is to package vaping products like cigarettes. Most smokers already believe that vaping is as least as bad for them as cigarettes, if not even more so, and research like this only serves to perpetuate this dangerous myth.

“Not only is vaping the most effective way of helping smokers quit, it carries only a small fraction of the risk and that is the message we need to get across to the UK’s six million smokers.

“Studies from the UK, Canada and the USA all show that plain packaging reduces the appeal to adults and smoking rates have increased in countries where these changes have been made.

“If anything, vape packaging should provide more educational information on the harm reduction benefits of vaping versus conventional cigarettes for adult smokers.”

Dunne said that the recent single use vapes ban, has already seen around 14% of former smokers return to cigarettes and cautioned about enacting new laws which would reinforce that negative effect.

He said robust enforcement of existing laws to prevent underage sales, backed by fines of £10,000 per instance, and a vape licensing scheme to prevent inappropriate businesses from selling vapes is what is required.

He added: “Vapes should be sold everywhere that cigarettes are sold but not in the likes of barber shops, butcher shops or taxi offices and the UKVIA has been calling for this change for years.

“Cartoon imagery and flavour descriptors which appeal to young people have no place on adult products such as vapes and the UKVIA wants new powers for regulators to reject such products at the time of registration.

“We called for this new measure and for vape licensing to be included in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill and they have been introduced to the amended legislation which is currently making its way through parliament.”

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