Evapo is one of the founding members of the UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA); an organisation dedicated to supporting both the vaping industry, as well as wider vaping community. Together, we hope to promote the public health benefits of e-cigarettes as a stop smoking tool, in the interest of a smokefree future.
The Tobacco and Related Products Regulations (TRPR) are the directives that govern vaping products in the UK. They are due to be reviewed in May 2021, offering one of the first opportunities for the UK to display legislative independence having left the EU. This is also an opportunity for the UK to build on their reputation for fantastic vaping-product regulation, by continuing to support, improve and grow the industry.
UKVIA have spent the past six months developing their ‘Blueprint for Better Regulation’ with Evapo, documenting their combined suggestions for how the TRPR review can improve the future of vaping and public health.
This review is an opportunity to enhance the current framework and allow the UK to further secure its existing world-leading position towards vaping.
Tackling misinformation
One of the biggest problems vaping faces is the widespread misinformation on their risks. ASH research has found that as of 2020, 37% of the adult population falsely believe e-cigarettes to be more or equally as harmful as smoking.
Unfortunately this number is increasing year on year, up from just 7% in 2013. There are an estimated 6.9 million smokers remaining in the UK, and this research suggests more than half could be reluctant to try switching to an e-cigarette due to their misinformation about the relative harms of vaping compared to combustible cigarettes.
We believe that targeting this problem with large scale public health campaigns could go a long way to changing public perception. A suggested measure is the government, public health experts, and the industry working together to agree on approved switching messages and health claims. These could be used in advertising and promotions, and on vaping-product packaging in conjunction with the existing nicotine addiction messages.
However, it is not only smokers who hold these incorrect views on e-cigarettes. Medical professionals also need greater support in understanding e-cigarettes and their public health benefits.
A Cancer Research survey of nurses and GPS across the UK reported that 1 in 3 clinicians did not know if e-cigarettes are safe enough to recommend as a stop smoking aid to patients who want to quit. Further training in this area could go a long way to helping reassure patients who would like to quit smoking.
Responsible regulation
The UK is renowned for their successful and effective regulation of E cigarettes and vaping products. The existing regulations have helped the vaping industry grow significantly, without restricting innovation in the field. It is important that future regulations continue to allow for such innovation, whilst not compromising on consumer safety.
UKVIA have proposed that the TRPR include additional products that were previously governed by different regulatory bodies. Such as nicotine-free e-liquids which currently fall under the General Product Safety Regulations 2005 which is enforced by local trading standards. By including these e-liquids in the TRPR regulations they will be subject to the same testing and ingredient restrictions as nicotine containing e-liquids. This will determine manufacturers from adding unregulated ingredients into their e-liquids and ensure that consumers are better protected if they choose to mix their own DIY e-liquids.
The document also includes suggestions for guidelines for packaging, labelling and flavour names in the interest of minimising the appeal to young people and non-smokers. In the UK, e-cigarette use among young people remains extremely low. However, this is something that needs to be monitored closely and continuously to ensure it does not change.
A sensible approach to this is to regulate the branding and packaging of vaping products, removing cartoons and iconography that may appeal to a younger audience.
Grasping online opportunities
As many retailers make the move from the high street to the digital marketplace, the vaping industry has been the exception. The number of vape shops in the UK has doubled over the last three years, providing a place for smokers to get advice and recommendations for making the switch from smoking to vaping. 68% of vapers reported that they had never considered quitting smoking until e-cigarettes became available, and PHE found that in just one year over 50,000 smokers kicked the habit with the help of vaping.
However, with the current climate, it is important that online vape retailers are able to support and assess that customer’s needs. Allowing retailers and manufacturers to promote and advertise products online in a responsible manner could be critical in reducing smoking prevalence. This will enable them to adapt to the changing retail industry as well as changing consumer habits.
We hope that these suggestions are considered during the TRPR review, as the culmination of months of research and years of experience. The UK has proved time and again that we can successfully and effectively utilise e-cigarettes as a public-health tool, and this review could help to build on this for a better future.
Sources
https://www.ukvia.co.uk/ukvia-launches-response-to-governments-trpr-consultation/
