Study: Flavored vaping ban hurts smokers trying to make the switch

While the use of e-cigs and traditional cigarettes among American youth isn’t uncommon, the restricted access to e-cigarettes is worrisome for first-time and longstanding vapers. While brands, such as the popular Logic vape pen, are still able to offer tobacco and menthol e-cigs, many vapers were reliant on a variety of other flavors as their smoking cessation aids to curb their cravings for combustibles. So, rather than curtailing e-cig use among youth, the flavored vape ban is mainly causing current vapers to return to their old smoking habits. 

The following study assesses the perspectives of American youth towards e-cig use and why ex-smokers are the ones who are suffering. 

The study

Lawmakers and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned fruit and mint-flavored electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) and replaceable cartomizers and capsules this past February in hopes of curbing teen use. However, the following study, “Youth Perceptions of JUUL in the United States”, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association of Pediatrics provides new evidence to suggest that the counteractive measures of banning flavored vape products played little to no role in assisting with the teen vaping epidemic and instead, researchers found that young people who use e-cig devices, were doing so as part of their natural teenage experimentation and to seek social inclusion. In other words, kids vape or smoke combustible cigarettes to look cool and the flavored vaping ban harms ex-smokers by stripping them of their right to use a far less harmful smoking cessation tool. 

What was the result? 

The authors of the following MyVoice e-cig study surveyed 1,129 subjects, aged 14 to 24 via text message, and found that a mere 5% reported that it was the variety of fruit and mint-based flavors that attracted them to e-cigs. 

“It’s not just about the flavors,” said MyVoice founder and senior author, Tammy Chang. 

“It’s about understanding the motivations for using these products, and their attitudes toward risks.” 

Savvy youth instead reported that they’re using e-cigs because it’s about being cool, an “experimentation that happens naturally in adolescence.” 

While the FDA and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) continue to aggressively push the war on vaping, ex-smokers are struggling to find a safer alternative to combustible cigarettes and a more effective form of smoking cessation, and under the FDA’s current policy, unauthorized flavored cartridge-based e-cigs (other than tobacco or menthol vape pens that are manufactured by approved companies such as Logic) are under strict, not-for-sale enforcements. 

What are your thoughts on the above claim? Do you agree that flavored e-cigs are beneficial for transitioning vapers? Drop your opinion in the comments section below.

One thought on “Study: Flavored vaping ban hurts smokers trying to make the switch

  1. In reply to Mary Louise cypreste.

    Good morning Mary Louise,

    Yes, we heard that the government in Brazil was really cracking down on imports. We’re sorry that you’re unable to receive an order from us. Here’s to hoping that their regulations change.

    – The I Love Ecigs Team

  2. In reply to Debra Kelley.

    We’re so sorry to hear that this happened to you Debra. So many people like yourself are struggling because of imposed FDA regulations and the government just doesn’t get it. Hopefully in due you’re able to wean yourself back onto a higher nicotine e-cig option.

  3. I quit smoking with yourMenthol eciggs decreasing nicotine. I then switched to zero nicotine disposables. That worked for me for over a year . Since they were outlawed , I have started smoking ciggarettes again. Sadly I had a stroke in March and obviously had I still had my zero nicotine eciggs, smoking again would not have upped my stroke risk.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *