Vaping and e-cigarettes have grown in popularity over the last decade, particularly among the younger population. However, the availability and accessibility of vaping devices has been the subject of much debate and controversy. While vape enthusiasts believe that flavoured nicotine vapes help smokers stop traditional cigarettes, detractors point to the dangers of addiction and underage use. Regulations governing vape sales and marketing are constantly evolving across states and nations.
The rise in popularity of vaping since the early 2010s has resulted in rapid expansion in the vaping business. Vape sales in the United States alone increased from roughly $1.7 billion in 2012 to $5.4 billion by 2019. There are now thousands of vape stores throughout the country that specialise in devices such as vape pens, e-cigarettes, e-hookahs, and mods. Vape makers have built a wide variety of disposable and refillable vaping devices, as well as thousands of various e-juice flavours. Online vape merchants also make it simple for customers to purchase and send vapes.
However, vaping and worries about juvenile vaping rates have resulted in additional controls on sales and promotion. In December 2019, the US federal government raised the minimum age to buy tobacco or vaping products from 18 to 21 years old. Some states impose further limitations, such as levying excise taxes on e-cigarettes or prohibiting flavoured vape items, which opponents claim appeal to youngsters. A 2020 UK law also prohibits online sales of vaping equipment. While vapes are still legal and commonly available in specialty shops and convenience stores, new restrictions have made getting them significantly more difficult.
Under the FDA’s jurisdiction to regulate tobacco products, the agency has taken steps to restrict juvenile access. Premarket review criteria for newer vaping products went into effect in 2020, requiring manufacturers to submit applications demonstrating the public health benefits of adults transitioning from regular cigarettes. A government ban on flavoured cartridge-based e-cigarettes went into effect in early 2020, with the exception of menthol and tobacco flavours. However, the legislation spurred several companies to switch to selling disposable, self-contained flavoured vapes that were not subject to the flavour ban.
Some public health experts have urged for additional measures such as nicotine content ceilings in vapes, increased advertising regulations, and expanded flavour bans. Others warn that excessive restrictions may lead vapers to the black market and illicit products. The discussion over access tries to strike a compromise between public health concerns and ensuring that adult smokers have access to vaping as a possibly less hazardous alternative to cigarettes.
Vaping legislation and availability also vary greatly over the world. According to the worldwide tobacco control organisation Knowledge-Action-Change, 44 nations, including Brazil, Thailand, and Singapore, have outright prohibited the sale of e-cigarettes or nicotine vaping products by December 2021. Other countries, like as Canada and the United Kingdom, impose few limitations beyond age verification. Australia and Japan essentially prohibit nicotine vapes while allowing vaping without nicotine. The European Union’s new Tobacco Product Directive establishes uniform EU-wide restrictions for vape product components, packaging, and nicotine levels.
While purchasing vaping devices is relatively accessible in nations such as the United States and the United Kingdom, access is being restricted by rules aimed at limiting young uptake and addressing the risks of nicotine addiction. However, regulation change has not kept up with the rapid growth of the vaping business. To maintain their broad customer appeal, vape producers continue to innovate with new discrete product designs, like THC vapes UK, as well as thousands of flavour and nicotine dosage variants. For the foreseeable future, vapes will most certainly stay contentious but widely distributed. Carefully formulated laws aim to strike a compromise between reducing underage use and keeping vapes available to adults looking for an alternative to smoking.