A survey conducted by the Independent European Vape Alliance (IEVA), has found that an impressive 81% of smokers who switched to e-cigarettes have managed to quit smoking completely, and 65% of vapers in Europe use fruit or candy flavours.
The IEVA aims to unite “national associations, companies, manufacturers and wholesalers in the vaping industry and providing them with responsible representation at the European level.” Over 3,300 european vapers participated in this study and the results confirmed once again that e-cigarettes are widely used as a smoking cessation tool across Europe. In fact, a total of 81% percent of vapers reported having quit completely thanks to the devices, while 12% managed to reduce.
A total of 86% of the participants rightly assumed that e-cigarettes are safer than combustible cigarettes, with only 2% inaccurately thinking that e-cigarettes are equally harmful, or more harmful than regular cigarettes.
With regards to flavours, a total of 40% of the respondents reported using fruit flavours, and 25% candy flavours. A significant 35% said they use tobacco-flavoured e-liquids, and when asked how they would react if all flavours with the exception of tobacco would be banned, only 20% percent said they would switch to tobacco flavours.
Banning flavours would feed the blackmarket
A total of 31% said they would resort to purchasing their preferred flavours on the black market, while 9% said they would start smoking again. With regards to risk perceptions, 86% of the participants said they believe e-cigarettes are less harmful for them than regular cigarettes.
“Our survey confirms previous research that e-cigarette flavors are crucial for adult smokers. A flavour ban must be avoided at all costs, because it would lead many vapers to buy unregulated products on the black market or to start smoking again. And this would endanger the great opportunity that many more smokers”“As convenience stores struggle to keep the doors open to serve local communities, some elected officials want to further impair the economic viability of these essential small businesses,” said Jim Calvin, NYACS President, in a press release.”Especially when such a ban would slash tax revenue by hundreds of millions of dollars a year, cause job losses, and intensify an already nation-leading illegal tobacco trade.”
Business and labour unions joining NYACS in opposing a statewide tobacco flavour ban are the Bodega and Small Business Association, the New York Association of Service Station and Repair Shops, International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 810, the Long Island Gasoline Retailers Association, the New York City Newsstand Operators Association, and the Asian American Retailers Association.
“Here in New York, cigarette smoking is at a record low, the purchase age has been elevated to 21, and six new restrictions on tobacco retailing were enacted within the past seven months,” Calvin added. “Given these trends, taking a more drastic action with harmful fiscal and economic consequences is unwarranted.”
