Flavour restrictions could push 3 million vapers back to smoking, retailer warns
January 23, 2025
VPZ, a leading vaping retailer with over 180 stores, has warned adult vapers that the UK’s Tobacco and Vapes Bill will ban the favourite flavours that helped them quit smoking.
Plans being proposed include a restriction on flavours, the introduction of plain packaging and further restrictions on advertising and promotions.
Latest insight from Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) has found that in the UK there are in the region of 3 million vapers who are ex-smokers, and VPZ fears that they could go back to smoking if the legislation is passed in its current form.
Any movement towards a flavour restriction would not only disproportionally harm ex-smokers but also UK’s vape users who could be pushed towards more harmful nicotine alternatives, the retailer said.
Despite strongly supporting most of the measures to tackle youth access, including restriction of naming, packaging and marketing, VPZ noted that the planned restrictions of sweet and dessert-like flavours, risk undermining the effectiveness of vaping as a harm-reduction tool and the UK’s 2030 Smoke-Free goals.
In response to these proposed restrictions, VPZ has launched a petition to raise awareness among vapers about the potential impact of the flavour ban and to urge policymakers to reconsider this measure, which could hinder current progress in reducing smoking rates.
“Flavours are not just a preference, but a lifeline for people who look to quit smoking,” Greig Fowler, director of VPZ, said.
“We are extremely concerned about the future of those 3 million UK vapers and ex-smokers, who have relied on flavoured vaping products to make the life-saving switch from smoking to vaping.
“Limiting their options will not only take away a proven harm-reduction tool but also risk sending them back to the far more dangerous habits of smoking cigarettes or using illicit products.”
VPZ’s recent customer intelligence found that 93.1 per cent of all participating customers consider flavoured vapes as either effective or very effective in helping them quit.
In addition, approximately 55 per cent of all respondents use sweet or dessert flavours, further highlighting the scale of the potential problem for ex-smokers and hinting that the impact might be even greater than anticipated before.
“The effectiveness of vaping as a harm-reduction tool has been widely recognised among health professionals and bodies across the UK,” Fowler continued.
“These proposed restrictions threaten to erode the trust and progress the country has built in supporting smokers to quit as it is imperative that we focus on solutions that protect youth without depriving adults of the tools they need to live healthier lives.
“That’s why we urge the UK government to consider appropriate licensing and control policies to tackle youth uptake, instead of punishing vulnerable customers on their smoke free journey.”
The retailer said it has been “alarmed at the speed” of the Bill and the “lack of any meaningful engagement” with the industry from the UK government.
It has written to all MPs across its network and begun a programme of local store-led engagement to highlight concerns and make recommendations that include a licensing and controls regime, age verification laws, tackling the illicit black market, and public education on vaping versus smoking.
