More bans aren’t needed to tackle underage vaping
4 October 2023
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Healthcare
In the Media
Lifestyle Economics
15 November 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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