In defence of disposable vapes

I've written a short briefing paper with Reem Ibrahim about the risks of banning disposable vapes for the IEA. A few stats:

 

• 35 per cent of adult vapers use disposables and a ban could result in some returning to smoking cigarettes.


• 7.6 per cent of 11-17 year olds are current e-cigarette users, while four in five have never used an e-cigarette.


• Cigarette use among people aged between 11 and 15 has dropped from four per cent to just one per cent since 2012.


• 11–15-year-olds are twice as likely to drink alcohol regularly than they are to vape regularly.

As I say in the press release...

“Banning a product because it is sometimes consumed by people who are already banned from buying it is a poor basis for legislation,” write report authors IEA Head of Lifestyle Economics Christopher Snowdon and Communications Officer Reem Ibrahim. “We do not ban cider just because some teenagers drink it. We do not ban 18 certificate films because some teenagers watch them. We do not even ban cigarettes because some teenagers smoke them.”

 

Have a read.