Tobacco executive says the UK is going through its own Juul e-cigarette moment

According to foreign reports today, a recent survey targeting schools in Northern England shows that the number of teenagers who regularly use electronic cigarettes has jumped to one in seven, prompting government advisors and doctors to further call for a ban on popular flavored e-cigarettes.

According to data from Trading Standards North West, 14% of children aged 14 to 17 reported using e-cigarettes more than once a week by the end of March, up from 6% in the spring of 2020.

These survey results will increase pressure on ministers to ban the sale of these products to teenagers, following the government's consultation on the rising popularity of e-cigarettes among minors.

Brands like Elf Bar and Lost Mary have captured the zeitgeist of British teenagers, gaining traction through viral videos on the social media platform TikTok, which have garnered nearly 2 billion views.

Major tobacco groups, including British American Tobacco, have also launched their own flavored disposable e-cigarettes.

A tobacco industry executive stated that the UK is experiencing its own JUUL moment, referring to the e-cigarette brand that sparked an epidemic among high school students in the US.

The survey collected feedback from over 13,000 students in North West England, with more than two-thirds of schoolchildren using e-cigarettes reporting that they used disposable e-cigarettes, and less than half were attracted by the sweet flavors of e-cigarettes.

Javed Khan, a former executive who led a landmark government review of smoking, expressed concern that the high rate of underage usage has ultimately disrupted the balance, supporting a ban on flavored disposable e-cigarettes.

"If I had known then what we know now, I would have called for a complete ban more strongly," Khan said, who served as CEO of the children's charity Barnardo's from 2014 to 2021.

As part of the consultation that will conclude in early June, the government is reviewing the impact of flavors, bright packaging, and social media marketing on young people's use of e-cigarettes.

The latest review could lead to the first tightening of regulations on e-cigarettes in the UK, unlike US health authorities, the UK government has traditionally supported e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation aid.

In addition to the consultation, the government announced last week that it would distribute e-cigarette starter kits to one-fifth of adult smokers as part of its smoke-free campaign.

Government school behavior advisor Tom Bennett stated that as smoking rates decline, e-cigarettes have become a new avenue for rebellion among children, and teenagers are attracted to a variety of flavors, from green gummy bears to cherry cola.

According to the trade standards survey, the smoking rate among schoolchildren in North West England is 7%, a historic low.

Research shows that the harms of e-cigarettes are far less than those of smoking, but young people using nicotine are associated with emotional and attention disorders.

Jonathan Grigg, chair of the Tobacco Control Committee of the European Respiratory Society, stated that e-cigarettes threaten to hook a generation of children on nicotine, leading them to smoke as adults, which he termed a catastrophic phenomenon.

However, some public health experts and tobacco industry figures warn against a complete ban on flavored e-cigarettes. John Dunne, CEO of the UK Vaping Industry Association, blamed rogue retailers for making e-cigarettes accessible to children.

"The problem is not the products, but the way young people access these products," Dunne said. The government also announced an additional £3 million in funding for trading standards to combat the sale of goods to children.

Dunne pointed out that a study commissioned by UKVIA showed that the appeal of flavors is an important tool for encouraging adult smokers to switch to e-cigarettes.

Deborah Arnott, CEO of the health charity Action on Smoking and Health, agreed that a complete ban on flavors would be counterproductive. Instead, ASH hopes the government will impose a £4 excise tax on disposable e-cigarettes to reduce affordability for young users.

Kingsley Wheaton, chief growth officer of British American Tobacco, which launched the disposable e-cigarette Vuse Go last year, emphasized that the product helps adult smokers quit and is a convenient alternative. #p#分页标题#e#

According to Nielsen IQ data, disposable e-cigarettes generated nearly £1 billion in sales in the UK in the year ending in early April. Elf Bar and Lost Mary, under Shenzhen-based e-cigarette company Heaven Gifts International, accounted for about three-quarters of the sales.

The Department of Health and Social Care did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Heaven Gifts International declined to comment.