In March/April 2023, the proportion of children experimenting with vaping had grown by 50 per cent year on year, from one in 13 to one in nine1. Concerns about children becoming hooked on vapes has led the UK government to consider banning flavours to make them less attractive to young people.

Some countries have already restricted the sale of flavoured e-liquids, allowing only tobacco and menthol flavours. While these restrictions aim to reduce the appeal of vaping they may affect adults who use vapes to stop smoking.

In this study, researchers aimed to understand how UK adults who smoke, or used to smoke and now vape, feel about unflavoured e-liquids and how potential flavour restrictions might impact them. The team recruited 24 adults ranging in age from 19 to 62 years. Of these, 12 adults smoked daily and 12 adults vaped daily but had stopped smoking within a year prior to the study (as daily vaping is strongly associated with smoking cessation). The group included two adults who smoked 20 or more cigarettes per day and  two adults who vaped daily but used to smoke 20 or more cigarettes per day.

Participants were asked to use an unflavoured vape for four hours instead of their usual flavoured e-liquid. They were then asked to complete a survey and participate in an online interview giving their thoughts on whether they would be tempted to use them again.

Results found the participants had mixed opinions about unflavoured e-liquids. While some felt unaffected by the lack of flavours, others thought it might lead them back to smoking. Many of the participants described the unflavoured e-liquids as unenjoyable or thought they were ‘alright’.

Read the full University of Bristol news item

Paper: ‘Exploring the opinions and potential impact of unflavoured e-liquid on smoking cessation among people who smoke and smoking relapse among people who previously smoked and now use e-cigarettes: findings from a UK-based mixed methods study’ by Jasmine N. Khouja et al. in Harm Reduction [open access]