Harm reduction campaign group We Vape has raised concerns over the government’s proposed restrictions on vape colours and retail displays, arguing that research underpinning the plans has not yet been completed.
The comments come as the government consults on proposals that would restrict the appearance of vapes and heated tobacco products and require vapes and nicotine pouches to be kept out of sight in shops. The consultation closes on 2 October.
According to We Vape, Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) documents published alongside the consultation state that research into the impact of vape device appearance on young people's interest is still being commissioned.
The research, being carried out through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), is intended to assess whether the appearance of devices affects young people's interest in trying vaping. DHSC says it “should be available in time to inform the drafting of regulations”.
DHSC has also commissioned research into the potential impact of proposed restrictions on shop displays, using a discrete choice experiment through NIHR.
We Vape said the consultation does not make clear whether regulations would be delayed if the research is not available in time.
The group also pointed to the government's impact assessments, which it said highlight gaps in the available evidence. One assessment does not publish a Net Present Social Value, while the other estimates more than £330 million in lost profit for the sector from restricting the appearance of vaping devices but does not put a monetary value on the potential benefits.
The government's assessment also states that limited data and evidence mean it has not been possible to estimate how many people might not quit smoking or might return to smoking as a result of display restrictions.
Under the proposals, vape devices would be restricted to white, black or grey, while heated tobacco devices would have to use a drab brown colour. Retail displays of vapes and nicotine pouches would also be treated in a similar way to cigarette displays.
We Vape founder Mark Oates criticised what he described as a decision to seek views on the proposed rules before completing the research intended to assess their impact.
“They want views on the colour of a device and the layout of a counter before they have finished the studies that are supposed to tell them whether those rules will even work. That is consulting first and evidencing later,” he said.
“If the research arrives only when the rules are written – or worse, after they are written – the consultation is theatre. Adult smokers who vape to quit should not pay for a policy the government has not finished measuring and we will be watching closely to see if this as yet unfinished research is used to inform decisions on regulation.”
Oates urged retailers, vaping consumers and others with an interest in harm reduction to respond to the consultation before the 2 October deadline.