Nearly three-quarters of teens would quit vaping if this happened

By Jim Leffman via SWNS

Up to three out of four teenagers would quit vaping if manufacturers removed sweet flavours, menthol and cooling agents.

It adds to the evidence that vapes are being targeted at youngsters.

Researchers at the Center for Tobacco Research say that flavors keep youngsters puffing and 71 percent would stop if they could only get tobacco-flavored e-cigarettes.

The team, based at Ohio State University surveyed 1,414 individuals between the ages of 14 and 17 regarding their e-cigarette use and behaviors.

They asked about the type of device used, usage habits, preferred flavors and intent to discontinue the use of the vaping device in response to proposed hypothetical comprehensive flavor ban.

Nearly 39 percent of survey respondents reported they would stop using their e-cigarettes if tobacco and menthol-flavored e-liquids were the only options available.

And 71 percent would quit vaping under a tobacco-only product standard.

Dr. Alayna Tackett, senior author of the study published in the Journal of Studies on Addiction and Drugs, said: "Our data add to an expanding body of evidence showing that youth have a preference for sweet flavorings that make vaping easier for novice users of e-cigarette products, priming them for a potential lifetime of dependency to nicotine."

Dr. Tackett, a pediatric psychologist, said that adolescents and young adults using flavors with cooling additives, such as fruit ice, reported higher odds of discontinuing use under a tobacco-only product standard compared with users who preferred menthol flavor only.

She said: “In this sample of adolescents and young adults, it appears that non-tobacco flavors may be important for their interest in and continued use of e-cigarettes."

But Dr. Tackett added that those using vapes to quit smoking also prefer the flavors and this should be taken into account in any legislation.

She said: "Many adults prefer using non-tobacco flavors to switch from combustible cigarettes to e-cigarettes

“Flavour restriction policies should consider the best ways to protect public health while supporting adults who are interested in choosing potentially less harmful alternatives to combustible cigarettes.”

In the UK you must be 18 or older to buy and use a vape and vape cartridges must not hold more than two milliliters of liquid or contain more than 20 milligrams of nicotine per milliliter.

At present there is no ban on flavors but the government is looking into a possible ban along with plain packaging to deter underage users.