The UKVIA responds to Michigan’s ban on vaping flavours:
The UK vaping industry takes the protection of young people incredibly seriously. That’s why the UKVIA’s sector-leading Code of Conduct enshrines our members’ commitment that vaping is for adult smokers and vapers, no-one else.
While we welcome proportionate and appropriate legislation, we watch events in Michigan this week with trepidation. A restriction of the flavours available to adult consumers risks squandering the valuable harm reduction potential of vaping. Multiple studies confirm that flavours incentivise smoking cessation via vaping, and help to ensure former smokers don’t return to cigarettes. We support all the tools which help smokers make the switch to vaping, which Public Health England recognises as at least 95% less harmful than cigarettes.
More important than restricting flavours is ensuring robust measures to protect young people. UKVIA members are proud to uphold the Challenge 25 standard, as well as never advertising products to people under 18 years of age. We hope that the smokers of Michigan, where smoking remains above the US national average, continue to have access to products that allow them to make the switch from smoking.