In light of recent discussions surrounding a potential ban on flavoured disposable vapes in the UK, the Alliance mondiale des vapoteurs (WVA) urges policymakers to consider the far-reaching consequences this move would have on public health and harm reduction.

It believes such a ban contradicts the UK’s “existing and successful” harm reduction approach.

Michael Landl, the director of the WVA, said: “Prohibition doesn’t work. It never has, and it never will. A ban on disposable vapes will not eliminate the demand but shift it from regulated markets to the black market, creating negative, unintended public health consequences.”

“Disposable vapes can act as a crucial stepping stone for smokers looking to quit. They offer an easy entry point, and many consumers eventually transition to open systems. Making that path from smoking to vaping as frictionless as possible is essential for public health.

“While cigarettes, known to be extremely harmful, remain readily available, banning a 95% less harmful alternative defies logic.”

Though there are concerns about disposable vapes’ environmental impact and attractiveness to young people, these issues can be addressed through smart regulation rather than an outright ban. “If disposables are banned, we won’t find solutions to these problems. Instead, we’ll leave them to the illicit market.”

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