The public backs wide-ranging measures to clamp down on how vapes would be displayed and marketed – including vapers themselves.
The government proposals include limiting the colours and design of the devices and their packaging, a retail display ban, and limiting descriptions to a single recognisable flavour, such as ‘apple’ or ‘strawberry’.
Some 65% agree vapes shouldn’t be visible in shop windows while 8% disagree with the plans. The number of vapers who agree with a retail display ban outweigh those who oppose it by 38% to 24%, according to an exclusive survey of 2,000 people conducted by Find Out Now for The Grocer.
Fifty-four percent of Brits agree that vapes should be restricted to white packaging, include a third of vape users. Some 6% of the general population and 20% of vaper users disagree with the proposal.
The public agreed that colourful flavour descriptions make them appealing to under 18s, including 4-in-5 people who currently vape, while only 29% think current flavours such as Blue Razz Lemonade, Strawberry, and White Choco Pops make them more appealing to adults.
The strongest opposition came from plans to reduce descriptions to single recognisable flavour, such as ‘Apple’ rather than ‘Apple-Blueberry’, ‘Unicorn Dream’ or ‘Berry Blast’. This would be opposed by 10% of the general population and by 39% of vape users.
However, support was highest amongst young people. More than half (51%) of 18 to 29-year-olds agreed with single flavour descriptions, compared with 42% of over 30s.
The vape industry has argued that better enforcement of existing rules that ban the sale of disposable vapes and selling to minors would be a better way to stop children from taking up vaping, whilst keeping vapes appealing to those who want to give up smoking.
UK Vaping Industry Association director general John Dunne said: “Restricting vaping to plain packaging and hiding them away from sight like cigarettes will only serve to reinforce the message that vaping and cigarettes are equally harmful.
“This survey clearly shows that there is an urgent need to correct this narrative to ensure the public is aware that vaping carries only a fraction of the health risks of smoking.
“The Grocer’s new research underlines our message that the government should pursue proportionate, evidence-led regulation that protects young people without undermining vaping as a quitting tool for adults.
“We want to see stronger enforcement against illegal sellers, mandatory age verification and a national vape licensing scheme, alongside sensible restrictions on branding which does not feed into the myth that there is an equivalence between smoking and vaping.”
Hazel Cheeseman, chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) said: “It’s encouraging to see such strong public support for measures that reduce the appeal of vaping to children. ASH supports proposals to introduce standardised packaging, remove vape displays from shop windows and prevent flavour descriptions being used as a marketing tool.
“The challenge for government is to implement these measures without losing sight of vaping’s role in helping people stop smoking. Vapes are not cigarettes. Regulations must avoid worsening public misconceptions about the relative harms of vaping and smoking, and they must ensure products remain appealing and accessible to adults who want to quit.
“Evidence suggests it’s possible to achieve both. Removing bright colours and child-focused branding can reduce youth appeal without discouraging adult use. Likewise, flavour names should be factual rather than promotional, while preserving the wide range of flavours that many former smokers rely on to stay smoke free.”
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