Consumer body asks Wes Streeting to rethink vaping policy

The New Nicotine Alliance (NNA) has called on Wes Streeting, the newly appointed secretary of state for health and social care, to reevaluate current tobacco and vaping policies, emphasising the potential to save lives and reduce health inequalities by adopting a more pragmatic approach.

In a letter addressed to Streeting, the NNA, which represents consumers of low-risk nicotine alternatives such as vaping products, nicotine pouches, and smokeless and heated tobacco, welcomed the government’s mission to reduce preventable illnesses and health inequalities. However, they cautioned that continuing with previous policies may do more harm than good.

The NNA highlighted several key concerns and recommendations:

Ineffectiveness of anti-smoking measures: The NNA criticised the “smoke-free generation” policy, arguing that its impact on health and the NHS would not be seen until 2044 and only under highly optimistic assumptions. They suggested that alternative nicotine products could more effectively address smoking among future generations with minimal harm.

Potential harm of anti-vaping measures: The NNA warned that stringent regulations on vaping could lead to increased smoking, illicit trade, and unsafe home mixing of vape products. They argued that vaping provides a practical route for adult smokers, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, to quit smoking without giving up nicotine.

Youth vaping concerns: While acknowledging the need to address youth vaping, the NNA stressed that some youth might use vaping as a smoking alternative. They argued for a balanced response that recognises the benefits of adult smoking cessation on youth health and well-being, suggested five elements for the response to youth vaping.

• Establish a regulated market that meets adult smokers’ and vapers’ demands, minimising the risk of an illicit market.
• Implement secure age-of-sale regulations for smoking products, supported by a licensing regime to enforce compliance.
• Control youth-appealing imagery and branding in vaping products, extending existing advertising codes to packaging.
• Regulate the naming and imagery of vape flavours to avoid appealing to youth while maintaining a diverse range of flavours for adult users.
• Continue the NHS’s science-based guidance on vaping, ensuring clear communication of the benefits and risks.

Consumer protection and confidence: The NNA emphasised the importance of proportionate regulation to ensure the safety and responsible marketing of low-risk nicotine products. They argued that increasing confidence in these alternatives would be the fastest way to reduce smoking among the 6.4 million adults who currently smoke.

Alignment of fiscal policy with public health: The NNA criticised the vaping products levy as a harsh tax on quitting smoking, arguing it would drive users to illicit markets. They called for promoting safer and cheaper alternatives to smoking as part of a broader public health strategy.

Citing prime minister Keir Starmer’s pledge to “deliver change” and “tread more lightly” on people’s lives, the NNA urged the government to adopt a “respectful, ethical, and pragmatic” policy that encourages smokers to switch to safer products by choice rather than coercion.

“Smokers and vapers would like the government to tread more lightly on their lives. They want to see public health policy work by consent rather than coercion and for the government to be a respectful enabler, not a hectoring prohibitionist. A policy encouraging smokers to make their own choices to switch to safer products is respectful, ethical and pragmatic – and far more likely to work,” the letter read.