TIGHTER regulations around e-cigarette packaging and labelling could help deter young people from vaping, The George Institute for Global Health has said.
The organisation recently undertook a study in the UK on those aged 15 to 30, which found that individuals who perceive e-cigarettes as harmful are 40% less likely to use them than those who do not consider them harmful.
However, only 53% of those using e-cigarettes at least monthly said that they had seen warning labels on packaging.
The findings, which are published in the Journal of Public Health, come from a survey of over 1,000 individuals and comes in a bid to better understand the attitudes, behaviours, and beliefs around e-cigarettes among this age group.
Around one in five respondents reported currently using e-cigarettes at least monthly and one in ten used them each day. The most common reason for using e-cigarettes was because a friend used them, with 23% of participants who used them at least monthly saying they have three close friends who vape.
Dr Ana-Catarina Pinho-Gomes, honorary research fellow at The George Institute UK, who led the research, said, “Our findings suggest that peer behaviour is a key driver of e-cigarette use, while awareness of the harms of vaping is a deterrent. Awareness-raising campaigns aimed at young people (such as at schools and college) and on social media are needed to highlight the known risks of e-cigarette use, as well as uncertainty over their long-term health impacts.”
In addition to health risks, discarded e-cigarettes carry environmental harms, generating considerable amounts of plastic and electronic waste. Three out of four 15-19-year-old vapers surveyed used disposable e-cigarettes, which are often cheaper than the refillable alternative. This reflects a widely reported upward trend in the use of disposable devices among teenagers, the organisation said.
Dr Pinho-Gomes concluded, “The UK Government must build on these findings by raising awareness of the potential harms of vaping, both to health and the environment, through public education campaigns and through tighter regulation around packaging and labelling.
“Although e-cigarettes may help with smoking cessation, their use by non-smokers, particularly young people, should be strongly discouraged. Until further evidence is available on their long-term consequences, a precautionary approach is advisable and the UK Government should consider the cautious approach to their regulation adopted by other countries, such as Australia.”
