It is vital that the benefits of vaping products are fully understood to maximise the positive impact on public health.
It is crucial that an evidence-based approach to revising UK regulations to further support vaping will enable more adult smokers to switch and ultimately quit smoking.
The Tobacco and Related Products Regulations (TRPR) are the primary regulations which govern e-cigarette and vape products in the UK, derived from the implementation of the EU’s Tobacco Products Directive (TPD). In the UK, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has an obligation to review the TRPR by May 2021.
The TRPR review process has now commenced, with a public consultation of the Regulations. Having left the European Union (EU), the review of the TRPR represents a huge opportunity for the Government to:
- Improve public health by tackling the misinformation that surrounds vaping and deters smokers from making the switch
- Product quality and safety standards are strengthened across the industry – including the introduction of zero-nicotine containing e-liquids within the
TRPR. - Continue to be an advocate for vaping
Whilst there are already 3.2 million adults in Great Britain who have made the switch to vaping1, there are still millions more who continue to smoke cigarettes. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), 14.1% of adults smoke – this equates to around 6.9 million people.
The review of the TRPR should be used to further accelerate the potential role of vaping as an effective way of reducing smoking rates and improving public health. Failure to take advantage of this opportunity would be a disservice to the contribution that vaping has already made to improving the lives of adult smokers and the good progress that has already been seen across the UK. With an agenda to ‘level up’ across the country, the UK Government must present smokers with appropriate access to less harmful alternatives and accurate information about the products available to them.
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