A pioneer in using electronic cigarettes within an anti-smoking policy, the United Kingdom will ban the use of disposable vapes from 2025. The decision focuses mainly on reducing consumption among young people, who use this type of device more, and the impact environmental impact of these single-use devices.
However, the use of other models remains part of the British government’s anti-smoking policy. In 2023, the country’s public health system, the NHS, created a program to distribute vapes to part of the country’s smoking population, to encourage them to switch from conventional cigarettes to electronic cigarettes and, eventually, quit smoking. The decision is based on studies that show evidence that vaping is less harmful to health.
Today, around 80 countries already have rules for the use of these devices. The debate on model legislation was the subject of an international event on vapes, held at the beginning of December, in London. Most experts believe that regulation is the way to protect consumer health and reduce the risk of use by minors.
“In this industry, we must find a balance between protecting children, minors, so that they do not become addicted to nicotine. And, at the same time, offering smokers a product that is very useful for stopping smoking. In countries where vaping was widely recommended for smokers, they achieved good results. And that probably means allowing some flavors, having fees, but not too high, for example. This type of moderate regulation, in my opinion, is the best for this industry”, explains Pablo Cano Trilla, a consultant who studies the situation in this market in several countries.
Among the most cited examples at the E-Cigarrete Summit was the case of New Zealand. The policy established in the country aims to make it free from conventional smoking within a year. For Ben Younda, director of the NGO Ash New Zealand, the country’s legislation is more liberal, but there is a trade-off.
“In our regulated market, the vape industry can advertise. But the government can tell people about vaping and encourage them to change. So I think the regulatory markets have worked well in terms of making sure we know what products are on the market and who sells them. But also ensuring that consumers are receiving reliable information from a single source and are able to make informed choices about what they use,” he explained.
The tobacco industry itself defends effective legislation for this market, something that does not exist in Brazil, where vapes are considered illegal as determined by Anvisa.
“Our position is that there should be the creation of rules to formalize this trade, which guarantee the safety of this consumption. A regulation that aims to protect people who are looking for a way to consume nicotine that is less harmful, that they actually have access to products with quality control and what is added to that product”, says Iuri Esteves, from BAT Brasil.
For the World Health Organization, no cigarette, whether conventional or electronic, is risk-free and, therefore, the safest thing is not to consume them. In Brazil, health bodies follow a similar understanding. These devices have been banned in the country since 2009. In 2019, Anvisa began a process to review this standard but, in May of this year, decided to maintain the ban.
This content was originally published in UK must ban disposable e-cigarettes by 2025 on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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