Expert views
Commentary submitted by Mark Oates in their own words.
Back to profileVape use most common in 25-34 age group, figures show
Smoking is at a record low, millions of adults are vaping instead, and the youngest adult age group has seen the biggest fall in smoking since 2011.
New tax on vaping takes effect to cut appeal to young people and non-smokers
Taxing the product that gets smokers off cigarettes, then calling it child protection, confuses two different problems.
Vapes ‘proven and viable option for people’ for quitting cigarettes
Every smoker who makes the switch is a victory for public health.
Proportion of smokers buying cigarettes illegally doubles since 2023 – study
The best way to reduce demand for illegal tobacco isn’t just tougher enforcement, it’s ensuring that safer alternatives remain affordable.
Vapes to be put in plain packaging to protect children
The law is clear that vapes should not be sold to anyone under 18. The real problem is not a gap in regulation, but enforcement.
Government urged to crack down on cheap vapes circumventing single-use ban
The lesson here is that you can’t regulate your way around human behaviour. I’ve long argued for a vape deposit return scheme. If people pay a small deposit and get it back when they return their device, recycling rates will rise and far fewer lithium batteries will end up in household waste. The disposable vape ban targeted a product rather than the behaviour, and the market has adapted exactly as many of us predicted.
New specialist crime unit to target ‘dodgy high street shops’
Legitimate vaping businesses play an important role in tobacco harm reduction
Almost two thirds of Britons would back smoke-free pub gardens – poll
Pub gardens must remain a protected space for vaping.
Half of convenience and vape stores in some areas linked to organised crime
As the Tobacco and Vapes Act passes into law, this data serves as a stark warning that legislation without enforcement is merely a paper shield.
‘Historic moment’ as smoking Bill clears Parliament
We welcome certain elements of the bill, including a retail licensing scheme for vapes and age restrictions for nicotine pouches.
Smoking ban for people born after 2008 agreed as Bill clears Parliament
Proportional regulation, rather than prohibition, is the only way to achieve a smoke-free generation.
Australian study of e-cigarettes misleading
The authors did not study a single real-world group of people who vape.