Last week, it was confirmed that the UK government plans to ban single use vapes entirely from June 1st, 2025. The reasons given were that they have become popular with young people – and, by that, they do not exclusively mean children. They are also concerned that used vapes are not being recycled by those who use them.
The Overlooked Benefits of Vapes
What has been lost in the growing moral panic about these products are the clear benefits that they have been making to public health in an incredibly short space of time. The latest Smoking Toolkit study data – compiled regularly by University College London’s Tobacco and Alcohol Research Group for more than a decade – shows that there has been a significant population wide increase in quit smoking attempts since use of disposables started to rise in 2021. This has happened along with a dramatic increase in the number of people who successfully quit smoking as a result.
This data appears to have been corroborated (in the UK and the USA) by a steep decline in combustible cigarette sales. The “plateauing” of declines in smoking, which had concerned public health groups prior to the popularity of single use vapes, had come to an end and things were motoring again.
ASH's Initial Response
Presumably, UK anti-smoking organization, Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), took this into account when it responded to the government’s consultation on “Creating a smokefree generation and tackling youth vaping” in 2023. And it is, presumably, why when asked if banning disposable is a good idea, ASH’s response disagreed, stating that single use vapes "would be a useful component of the Government’s ‘Swap to Stop’ programme."
ASH's Change of Heart
Scroll on to the present day and ASH has u-turned and now welcomes prohibition. Its recent press release declared that the government “is right to push ahead with this ban” and, what’s more, demanded “further product and branding regulations.” Furthermore, Hazel Cheeseman (ASH chief executive) has also declared that “a flat rate” of tax on vape liquids for refillable devices “would be welcome.” Indeed, once the duty was announced in the budget this week, ASH announced on X that it “fully supports” the measure, despite acknowledging that it will reduce affordability of vape liquids for consumers.
The Consequences of Supporting the Ban
With this evidence, one must wonder if ASH is interested in reducing smoking rates at all. They know very well that the recent sharp drop in smoking has a lot to do with the uptake of disposable vapes. They also know, from research throughout the world, that restrictions on vapes inevitably lead to greater use of combustible tobacco. It is their job to know.
If they were not aware, they only had to look at the government’s own impact assessment, published on October 15th, which clearly states that “29% of current [vapers] will either revert/re-lapse to smoking tobacco” following the disposables ban. This, it says, will produce profit for the government with a rise in “the sale of tobacco goods” which would inevitably result in “health disbenefits.”
The upshot is that ASH is now actively supporting a measure that will drive both youths and adults towards smoking. This should be especially worrying seeing as nine times as many adults than teenagers use disposable vapes. ASH knows that the NHS and smoking cessation services value them highly as a cheap and simple proof of concept product for those cannot initially get on with the general hassle of coils, tanks, refilling, and recharging of reusable vaping products. They are also invaluable in prisons and mental health facilities as well as for people with dexterity issues.
ASH's Role and Responsibilities
It is arguable that ASH should not even be commenting on vaping anyway, unless smoking rates will rise as a result. They are called Action on Smoking and Health, not Nicotine or Vaping and Health. And certainly not Action on Environment and Health. Yet here they are cheering on legislation which they know can only lead to fewer quit attempts and continued or increased prevalence of smoking. As the saying goes, they had one job…
Questioning ASH's Motives
One must question why ASH, a group dedicated to reducing smoking, would support such legislation knowing its potential harm. Many will remember that ASH initially wanted vapes regulated solely as medicinal products and lobbied the EU to that effect during negotiations on the Tobacco Products Directive in 2013. It is fortunate that they lost that battle as there would be millions more smokers in the UK now had they succeeded.
Conclusion: The Need for Consistent Advocacy
Once again, ASH are on the wrong side of the debate but, this time, it cannot claim to be unaware of the consequences. ASH should be focussed on its supposed role to reduce smoking rather than acting as a nodding dog for government policy for fear of upsetting politicians.
Cigarettes and vapes are economic substitutes, meaning anti-vaping measures are effectively pro-smoking. ASH should be sticking to their guns and condemning regulations which will increase combustible cigarette use, not welcoming them. By not doing so, ASH is failing the public and betraying the reason for its existence.
Martin Cullip is International Fellow at The Taxpayers Protection Alliance's Consumer Center and is based in South London, UK.
