We often talk about how vaping policies around the world aren’t focused on consumers. Policymakers may have good intentions—like reducing smoking rates or protecting young people from nicotine—but the policies we end up with often contradict those goals. Is that an oxymoron? Not really. That’s just how prohibitionism works. Or rather—how it doesn’t work.

In the world of tobacco harm reduction, you’ll often meet adults who’ve quit smoking thanks to less harmful alternatives like vapes, pouches, or snus. But in government circles, you’re more likely to hear discussions about banning vape flavours, raising taxes on safer products, or banning vaping altogether. The success stories are often ignored.

So, how did we end up with this huge disconnect between consumers and policymakers?

The WVA launched a survey to highlight this gap. Even as vaping faces growing restrictions worldwide, people are still using it to quit smoking. Policymakers need to listen. We received 219 responses from vapers who shared their feelings about current and proposed restrictions.

We asked vapers how they felt about different restrictions.
Here are five key takeaways:

• Up to 90% of vapers are former smokers who used vaping to quit.

• More than 97% believe governments should support less harmful nicotine alternatives for quitting smoking.

• Over 83% say they would either go back to smoking (67%) or turn to the black market (16%) if vaping were banned.

• 92.7% say flavours played an important role in helping them quit smoking.

• 86.8% believe vaping products should be more affordable than cigarettes.

The survey shows a clear message from vapers: safer nicotine alternatives like vaping help people quit smoking, and restrictions only push them back to cigarettes or the black market. Policymakers need to listen and focus on what actually works.