More bans aren’t needed to tackle underage vaping
4 October 2023
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Healthcare
In the Media
Healthcare
4 July 2024
Christopher Snowdon writes for The Critic
IEA Head of Lifestyle Economics Christopher Snowdon has written for The Critic, discussing new research he co-authored warning against a ban on disposable e-cigarettes.
Christopher wrote:
“At this point, I am obliged to say that one underage vaper is one too many, but let’s be realistic. Twice as many 11-15 year olds drink alcohol regularly than vape regularly. As recently as 2012, eight per cent of 11-15 year olds were regular smokers. Let’s not make the perfect the enemy of the good. Since 2012, when vaping became mainstream, the proportion of 11-15 year olds who smoke regularly has dropped from 4 per cent to just 1 per cent.
“Nobody would seriously call for a ban on cider (or whatever teenagers drink these days) just because it’s relatively popular with underage consumers. In 2012, when 1 in 12 kids were smoking regularly, nobody outside the lunatic fringe was calling for a ban on cigarettes. We don’t ban 18 certificate films because some teenagers watch them. I can think of no precedent for the sale of a product being banned completely on the basis that children — who are already banned from buying it — are getting hold of it.”
Read Christopher’s full piece here.
Read a full copy of A Vapid Solution, a new paper by Christopher and IEA Communications Officer Reem Ibrahim opposing a ban on disposable e-cigarettes.
Christopher wrote:
“At this point, I am obliged to say that one underage vaper is one too many, but let’s be realistic. Twice as many 11-15 year olds drink alcohol regularly than vape regularly. As recently as 2012, eight per cent of 11-15 year olds were regular smokers. Let’s not make the perfect the enemy of the good. Since 2012, when vaping became mainstream, the proportion of 11-15 year olds who smoke regularly has dropped from 4 per cent to just 1 per cent.
“Nobody would seriously call for a ban on cider (or whatever teenagers drink these days) just because it’s relatively popular with underage consumers. In 2012, when 1 in 12 kids were smoking regularly, nobody outside the lunatic fringe was calling for a ban on cigarettes. We don’t ban 18 certificate films because some teenagers watch them. I can think of no precedent for the sale of a product being banned completely on the basis that children — who are already banned from buying it — are getting hold of it.”
Read Christopher’s full piece here.
Read a full copy of A Vapid Solution, a new paper by Christopher and IEA Communications Officer Reem Ibrahim opposing a ban on disposable e-cigarettes.
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