Alla luce dei recenti discussioni surrounding a potential ban on flavoured disposable vapes in the UK, the World Vapers’ Alliance (WVA) urges policymakers to consider the far-reaching consequences this move would have on public health and harm reduction. Such a ban contradicts the UK’s existing and successful harm reduction approach.

Michael Landl, direttore della WVA, afferma: “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.“

The ban on disposable vapes is counterproductive to harm reduction, says World Vapers’ Alliance. “Disposable vapes can act as a crucial stepping stone for smokers looking to quit,” comments Landl. “Offrono un punto di ingresso facile e molti consumatori alla fine passano ai sistemi aperti. Rendere il percorso dal fumo allo svapo il più agevole possibile è essenziale per la salute pubblica. Sebbene le sigarette, notoriamente estremamente dannose, rimangano facilmente reperibili, vietare un'alternativa meno dannosa è contro ogni logica.“

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,” warns Landl.

The UK has recently widely acknowledged vaping as a smoking cessation tool through its “Swap-to-Stop” program, committed to further reducing smoking rates. According to the Office for National Statistics, UK smoking rates have fallen by more than 29% nell'ultimo decennio (quando lo svapo è diventato popolare). Rispetto all'UE, i tassi di fumo nel Regno Unito sono diminuiti due volte più veloce. This proposed ban threatens to undermine those gains and puts the UK at odds with its own best practices.

Landl adds, “Countries with an open harm reduction approach, like Sweden, which recently tasse ridotte on snus, have successfully reduced smoking rates. The UK should not regress by adopting policies that have proven to be ineffective.”