Over 3 Million British People Could Be Affected By A Proposed Ban On Vaping And E-Cigarettes

Vaping has exploded into a huge habit for teens and adults alike, and now a proposed ban is putting millions of British people on edge.

What started as a supposed alternative to cigarettes has turned into a messy debate about health, regulation, and how easily vape products reached young people. With flavored e-cigarettes, loose advertising rules, and growing concern about the impact on users, the issue has only gotten more complicated.

The story below looks at why the backlash is growing and why the possibility of a ban has caused so much noise.

WHO recommends restrictions of E-cigarettes

If new World Health Organization recommendations to restrict e-cigarettes are enacted, millions of Britons may be forced to give up vaping. Around 3.2 million Britons use e-cigarettes, and the industry has multiplied in recent years, with over 2,000 businesses reliant on the £2 billion industry.

However, if the UK joins the more than 30 countries that have already banned vaping, everything may change. The idea has elicited a lot of backlash, with some fearing that it may increase tobacco-related deaths by making it more difficult for smokers to quit without the help of vaping.

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It may contribute to causing cancer.

"The suggestion is totally irresponsible and odd," said Clive Bates, a tobacco damage specialist and former director of the anti-smoking organization ASH. If governments take it seriously, they will be defending the cigarette industry, encouraging smoking, and contributing to the massive toll of cancer, heart disease, and lung illness that already exists. 

The WHO's proposed adjustment may potentially affect 2.4 million vapers in the United Kingdom. Their tobacco regulatory committee produced a recommendation that aims to target vapes that allow "the user to control device functions and liquid ingredients."

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That same health-versus-friendship tension shows up in this AITA about refusing to visit a friends newborn over secondhand smoke.

What's open vaping

This is known as open vaping, and it means that the user in an open system manually replaces the vaporized liquid. WHO is concerned that this procedure permits more dangerous compounds to be added to the liquid, potentially increasing its overall toxicity.

That makes sense, but couldn't you just add crack to mushy peas instead? The issue for the British economy is that 77 percent of vapers in the UK use open vaping. 

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Assisting smokers in quitting

While public health officials currently claim that vaping is 97 percent safer than smoking and recommend e-cigarettes for those trying to quit, the proposals will be discussed at a conference in Glasgow later this year. Expert Peter Hajek of Queen Mary University in London said, "Vaping does not appear to be very addictive, and e-cigarettes have been shown to assist smokers in quitting."

James Dunworth, who owns a chain of vape stores in Swansea, echoed his sentiments. "A prohibition would result in the premature deaths of smokers and an expansion of the underground market," he claimed.

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A few exceptions

However, someone who died of vaping-related lung disease in the United Kingdom last year complicates matters even further. According to experts at Royal Papworth Hospital, the patient who met the criteria for a 'proven' diagnosis of vaping-associated lung injury was treated at one of the world's premier cardiothoracic hospitals and the UK's primary heart and lung transplant center (otherwise known as EVALI).

His appendix had been removed sometime before his hospital stay, which was the only underlying health condition he had. According to the report, the patient was a previously healthy man in his 40s who went to the emergency room with chest pain and shortness of breath that was worsening.

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We hope you find this article helpful and that it encourages you to leave behind all of your bad habits, such as smoking and drinking regularly. Doing these things in moderation is fine, but it is too hard to let go of when they become habits.

Share this with all the people who smoke cigarettes or consume e-cigs and vapes, and let them know about the toll it takes on their health. Motivate them to lead a healthy and fulfilling life.

Noticed the “safer than smoking” narrative cracking? Read how a psychologist described troubling signs of vape addiction.