Flavoured e-cigarettes should be BANNED to stop enticing kids to try them, health experts urge
FLAVOURED e-cigarettes should be banned to stop young kids developing a taste for the potentially dangerous devices, health experts have urged.
Sweetie flavoured e-liquids, including bubblegum, strawberry and chocolate, encourage youngsters to try e-cigs, they claim.
In January, Public Health Wales called for flavoured liquids to be outlawed.
But, leading charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) and the Independent British Vape Trade Association said flavoured liquids play an important role in encouraging smokers to quit.
E-cigs were designed to help smokers quit their deadly habit, and are marketed as a healthier alternative to your average fags.
The NHS agrees vaping is better for a smoker's health than regular tobacco.
The devices allow a vaper to inhale nicotine, without the other harmful substances in tobacco.
But the health service warns, e-cigarettes are not risk-free.
Various scientific studies have shown they cause damage to the lungs, are as dangerous to the heart as smoking, and increase the risk of severe strokes.
MOST READ IN HEALTH
And other experts have warned they are a "gateway to smoking", encouraging a new generation of smokers.
The devices have soared in popularity in recent years, with around two million people now vaping.
But scientists are yet to be satisfied that they are safe, with much more research needed to probe the effects they have in the long-term on a vaper's health.
In October 2015 it became illegal to sell e-cigs or e-liquids to anyone under the age of 18.
And the Department of Health said the Government's advise is they should only be used to quit smoking.
But, critics have argued the delicious-sounding array of flavoured liquids, is nothing more than a ploy to appeal to more people.
Ashley Gould, consultant lead for tobacco control at Public Health Wales, told The Sun Online: "The use of nicotine in any form by children and young people is not safe.
"It can cause addiction and can harm the developing adolescent brain.
Confectionery-like flavours of e-liquid should not be permitted to reduce the appeal of ENDS to children and young people
Ashley Gould
"There are no benefits to children and young people in using electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS).
"There should be restrictions on the advertising of ENDS in all media that would regularly be viewed by children and young people.
"And 'confectionery-like' flavours of e-liquid should not be permitted to reduce the appeal of ENDS to children and young people."
Mr Gould said a "balance of approaches" is needed to ensure the potential benefits to smokers who want to quit are maximised, while the risks to non-smokers and kids are minimised.
He said the research shows smokers wanting to quit are most likely to be successful if they seek help from the NHS.
But added: "For smokers unwilling or unable to stop smoking now, switching completely from smoking tobacco to using e-cigarettes will significantly reduce the risks to health."
Dr Penny Woods, chief executive of the British Lung Foundation told The Sun Online more research is needed to "establish the extent to which flavours of e-cigarettes encourage children to take up vaping".
She acknowledged regular use among young people is rare and "largely confined to those who currently or have previously smoked".
WHAT DO THE NEW RULES MEAN?
NEW vaping laws are set to come into force next month restricting the sale of e-cigarettes and e-liquids.
The new guidelines include:
- Refillable tanks must have a capacity of no more than 2ml
- E-liquids can not be sold in quantities greater than 10ml
- Unless registered as a medicine e-liquids can not have a nicotine strength of more than 20mg/ml
- E-liquid packaging must be child-resistant and tamper evident
- Additives including colouring, caffeine and taurine are banned
- All e-cigarettes and e-liquids must be registered with the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency before they can be sold
- Stricter labelling requirements
Hazel Cheeseman, director of policy for ASH, argued flavours play "an important part" in making e-cigs appealing to people who want to quit smoking.
She added: "New EU regulations require reporting on the content of e-liquids and give the Government the power to prohibit flavours if they are shown to be harmful.
"This balanced approach both protects children and maintains the availability of attractive alternatives for adults who smoke."
Richard Hislop, chief executive of the Independent British Vape Trade Association, said he is concerned over calls for a ban on flavours.
He told The Sun Online: "The concerns behind the calls for a ban is that flavours are there to entice children.
"But, actually we know from research by the Office For National Statistics and ASH, that 97 per cent of vapers are current or adult ex-smokers.
"Flavours are really important in the experience of smokers moving away from smoking, they don't want tobacco flavours.
"If flavours are taken away some vapers will go back to smoking."
Dr Woods, from the BLF, added: "Given that half of long-term smokers of regular cigarettes die as a result of the habit, using e-cigarettes temporarily to help someone quit smoking could literally save their life."
Addressing the idea, e-cigs are a gateway to smoking, Mr Hislop added: "We think these concerns don't really stand up to detailed scrutiny."
He said: "The liquids people buy are tested and anything found that shouldn't be there is removed. Consumers safety is at the forefront."
Public Health England statistics show regular use of e-cigs by young people remains low.
Almost all users are current and ex-smokers the figures show, with 0.2 per cent of vapers admitting to never having smoked.
Last year a study, published in the journal Tobacco Control, warned flavoured e-cigs are much more toxic than their regular counterparts - and strawberry was rated the worst.
Researchers from Roswell Park Cancer Institute in the US, tested six different flavours - tobacco, pina colada, menthol, coffee and strawberry.
They exposed bronchial cells form the lungs to the flavoured vapours and found strawberry to be the most toxic.
Dr Maciej Goniewicz said: "Our study demonstrates that e-cigarette products differ significantly in the degree of their cellular toxicity to bronchial epithelial cells."
We know from research into vaping that flavours are really important in the experience of smokers moving away from smoking, they don't want tobacco flavours
Richard Hislop
Public Health England's independent review of the latest evidence, published in 2015, found e-cigs are around 95 per cent safer than smoking.
But, experts have warned it's too early to tell for sure.
The study he was referring to warned vaping could be as bad for a person's heart as puffing on fags.
Tests found they raised the risk of arterial stiffness - the main predictor of heart disease, which in turn increases the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Prof Viachopoulos, of Athens Medical School, said: "E-cigarettes are less harmful than traditional cigarettes but they are not harmless.
"There could be long-term heart dangers."
Mice exposed to e-cig vapour for 10 to 30 days suffered more severe strokes, and greater nerve damage than those exposed to tobacco smoke.
The team at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, said: "Vaping is not safer than tobacco smoking and may pose a similar, if not higher, risk for stroke severity."
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368