UK Vaping Industry Association: The government recognizes vaping’s key role in smoking cessation

Today’s news, April 12: according to foreign media reports, the UK government announced yesterday that it will provide 1 million free vaping starter kits to smokers to support switching from cigarettes to vaping for smoking cessation. John Dunne, Director General of the UK vaping industry association (UKVIA), issued a statement in response.

Full text below:

We are delighted to hear about this initiative. It clearly marks a watershed moment for the vaping category, as the government has recognized vaping’s key role in making smoking obsolete and has shifted toward nationwide action. It also means the UK can get back on track to achieve its smokefree goal before 2030.

For years, evidence has shown that vaping is at least 95% less harmful than smoking, and ongoing studies have demonstrated that vaping is the most effective way to quit traditional cigarettes. While more than 200 people die from smoking every day in the UK, globally there has not been a single recorded death from using nicotine e-liquid.

It is also very positive to see that the government has recognized the need to offer smokers a range of vaping options. This is crucial, because smoking habits vary greatly from person to person, so a one-size-fits-all approach to quitting through vaping will not work. There is also a strong need to educate smokers about vaping—research we recently commissioned shows there is currently a lack of guidance, and that guidance is vital to helping smokers quit.

This government initiative encouraging adult smokers to quit through vaping is a major step in the right direction. However, to ensure that vaping is for adults only, it needs to work in tandem with the measures already proposed by the government and our association to address youth vaping.