Restricting the choice of flavored vapes, also known as e-cigarettes, could have an adverse effect on the many adults who use them to reduce or quit smoking, according to a new University of Bristol-led study in the journal . In March/April 2023, the proportion of children experimenting with vaping had grown by 50% year on year, from one in 13 to one in nine. Concerns about children becoming hooked on vapes has led the UK government to consider banning flavors to make them less attractive to young people.
Some countries have already restricted the sale of flavored e-liquids, allowing only tobacco and menthol flavors. While these restrictions aim to reduce the appeal of vaping they may affect adults who use vapes to stop smoking. In this study, researchers aimed to understand how UK adults who smoke, or used to smoke and now vape, feel about unflavored e-liquids and how potential flavor restrictions might impact them.
The team recruited 24 adults ranging in age from 19 to 62 years. Of these, 12 adults smoked daily and 12 adults vaped daily but had stopped smoking within a year prior to the study (as daily vaping is strongly associated with smoking cessation). The group included two adults who smoked 20 or more cigarettes per day and two adults who vaped daily but used to smoke 20 or more cigarettes per day.
Participants were asked to use an unflavored vape for four hours instead of their usual flavored . They were then asked to complete a survey and participate in an online in.
