A landmark study involving over 15,000 young people across England, Canada and the US has revealed that standardising vape devices to plain white packaging could significantly discourage smokers from switching to e-cigarettes – raising serious questions about the unintended consequences of proposed packaging regulations.
The research, published in Tobacco Control journal, found that whilst standardising the colour and branding of disposable vapes reduced overall interest in trying the products, the effect was most pronounced amongst those who currently smoke – precisely the demographic that public health experts believe would benefit most from switching to vaping.
Smokers hit hardest by plain packaging
The study found that standardisation increased the percentage of current smokers reporting "no interest" in trying vapes from 37.5 per cent to 47.5 per cent – a substantial 10 percentage point increase. This represented the largest effect observed across all user groups in the randomised controlled trial.
“The reduction in interest was more pronounced among smokers, who might benefit from using vapes to quit smoking,” warned the researchers, led by Harry Tattan-Birch from University College London. “There is a risk that the public health benefits of preventing youth uptake of vaping could be offset by a decline in the number of young people transitioning from smoking to exclusive vaping.”
Those who both smoked and vaped – dual users who could benefit from switching entirely to vaping – also showed a marked reduction in interest, with the proportion stating no interest rising from 9.5 per cent to 13.5 per cent when viewing standardised devices.
Limited impact on never-users
In contrast, the effect on young people who had never smoked or vaped was minimal, increasing from 91.2 per cent to 92.9 per cent expressing no interest – a difference of less than two percentage points. This suggests that the policy's intended target group is already largely disinterested in vaping products regardless of their appearance.
The research team noted this could represent a “ceiling effect” given that over 90 per cent of never-users already reported no interest in trying any vaping products, whether branded or standardised.
The findings come at a critical time for the UK vaping industry, with the government having announced plans in January 2024 to introduce standardised packaging for e-cigarettes, although specific details remain under discussion.
The study examined four popular disposable vape brands, comparing consumer interest between their normal branded appearance and standardised white versions with uniform typeface displaying only brand names and flavours.
No impact on harm perceptions
Researchers found little evidence that standardisation affected how harmful participants perceived vaping to be relative to smoking – addressing industry concerns that plain packaging might inadvertently increase misperceptions about vaping's relative risks.
Approximately 32 per cent of participants in both groups correctly identified vaping as less harmful than smoking, suggesting that packaging changes would not worsen existing misconceptions about e-cigarette safety.
The research team emphasised that policymakers must carefully consider the trade-offs involved in standardising vape packaging. Whilst such measures may marginally reduce appeal among young people who have never smoked, they could simultaneously create barriers for smokers considering switching to potentially less harmful alternatives.
“For countries interested in discouraging vaping among young people, standardising the colour of vaping devices could be considered alongside standardised packaging as a potential policy option,” the authors concluded. “However, there may be unintended consequences in terms of discouraging those who smoke from switching to vaping, which should be further investigated and possibly balanced with other targeted policies to encourage smoking cessation.”
The research was conducted as part of the 2023 International Tobacco Control Youth and Young Adult Tobacco & Vaping Survey, with participants aged 16-29 randomly assigned to view either branded or standardised vape devices. The large sample size allowed researchers to examine effects across different demographic groups and smoking/vaping behaviours with high statistical precision.
The consistency of results across three countries with different regulatory environments strengthens the findings' relevance for policymakers considering similar measures globally.
