Tobacco and Vapes Bill

Written Evidence Submitted by Gordon Beard to the Tobacco and Vapes Public Bill Committee (TVB02).

I am writing to you from the point of view of a retired person 71 yo who had smoked on average 40 cigarettes/day over a 45 year period until Feb 2013 when after trying and failing with many stop smoking methods ie acupuncture, NRT, Alen Carr book, champix , over a 10 year period I finally managed to stop smoking by the use of Vaping. 

Since 2013 I have not smoked any cigarettes although some desires remain, I am in other words a long-term Vaper and could categorically state that without Vaping I would revert back to smoking despite knowing the woeful consequences along with constant coughing due to catarrh.

The Vaping portion of the Bill mentions Adults in passing, but the present estimated 4.5 million Adult Vape users really require far more positive messaging in deeds and actions from MP and Govt, for some who have recently switched or contemplating stopping smoking and switching to something with a fraction of the risk of smoking .....this isn't happening especially since circa 2020 when previous pragmatic messaging has been replaced  largely due to the relatively recent increase in teen numbers. 

Teen numbers seem to have increased for a variety of slightly related reasons  

Firstly the market introduction of very cheap mostly illicit disposables , closely followed by Covid with the restrictions of movement and school closures. lastly a media that misinterprets and sensationalises data from the ONS ,Smoking Toolkit and ASH studies and reports .......daily vaping use by never smoking teens prior to 2019-2020 was negligible(close to below limits of detection), more recently that has increased, but U-18 and illicit product regulations already exist , enforcement is the issue here , not further regulation. 

Returning to the Bill and the other recent announcement of the banning of disposables 

Adults, especially poorer and recently transitioned from smoking folk use these in far greater numbers than under 18' s , counter to what the press may portray (ASH data would confirm this) 

Flavours and packaging : - Once again adults use all types of Vapes in far greater numbers than teens and flavours especially play a crucial role in maintaining smoking abstinence, some calls to have tobacco flavoured vapes only would be a lunatic outcome as that is precisely what vapers are by and large trying to avoid. Packaging and flavour descriptors is an area where 'virtue-signalling' could be applied without too much negative impact on adult vapers other than sending out a totally negative to the general public as whole. 

Finally, let me put on record I have zero involvement in any capacity with the tobacco or Vaping industries, I consider myself as a well informed consumer who has seen a gradually declining public perception despite the landmark 2015 Public Health England report followed by the 2016 report from the Royal College of Physicians both of which were comprehensive reports that fully supported (with a few proviso's) the switch from adult smoking to Vaping in those users unable or unwilling to use NRT etc 

To summarise, please use good judgement and not an unthinking knee-jerk reaction that 'something really must be done' , bear in mind that banning or restricting already banned U-18 and illicit products (too high a nicotine level or quantity) can and most definitely will have a devastating impact on some Vapers with either a return to smoking or a major explosion of a latent black market (see recent events of 155 fire-bombings resulting from 'turf wars' in Australia).

December 2024