Teen vaping could be slashed by 70% if fruity flavors were banned, study finds

The teen vaping crisis could be nipped in the bud if fruit and menthol flavors were banned, a study suggests.

Seventy percent of current vapers between the ages of 14 and 21 said they would kick the habit if the devices tasted like normal cigarettes.

However, banning menthol would be critical. When asked if they would stop vaping completely if only fruit flavors were banned, only 40 percent said yes.

America and the UK are in the midst of what some are calling a childhood vape epidemic, with increasing reports of classrooms and playgrounds turning into clouds of smoke as so many young people become addicted to them.

The map above shows states that have already implemented bans on the sale of flavored vaping devices

In the US, about one in five kids — 2.55 million — in middle and high school admit to using the devices at least once a month.

Ohio State University researchers surveyed 1,400 vapers aged 14 to 21 from across the US who had vaped at least once in the past 30 days — defined as regular use.

Participants said their favorite flavors were fruit (45 percent), including pineapple lemonade and blue raspberry and fruit ice cream (30.5 percent), or fruit and menthol, such as juicy grape ice cream and banana ice cream.

In comparison, only one in ten said menthol was their favorite, while three percent said they preferred tobacco.

They were all asked the hypothetical questions: ‘Would you [e-cigarette] if it was only available in tobacco and menthol flavours?’

And: ‘Would you [e-cigarette] if it was only available in tobacco flavour?’

The results showed that 549 teens (38.8 percent) said they would quit under a flavored e-cigarette ban.

But if this were also extended to menthol vapes, 1,001 (70.8 percent) said they would no longer gravitate towards e-cigarettes.

Researchers noted in their study that it was hypothetical and could not prove that young people would actually stop vaping if flavors were banned.

But they added that tastes were clearly “important to their interest in” and “continued use” of e-cigarettes.

The above shows how the number of kids and teens vaping has risen after 2021, despite growing evidence of the dangers of the devices

Limitations of the study included that the participants were largely white and female, meaning the results could not be generalized to the child population.

There was also a risk that kids might have misunderstood the question, researchers said, and thought the ban would only apply to the specific vape device they used — rather than all flavors.

The research has been published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.

Four US states – Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island – have already banned flavored e-cigarettes, while California has restricted their sales in stores.

However, studies have suggested that when bans were put in place, it increased young people’s risk switch to smoking instead of vaping.

Vapes were once touted as a healthy alternative to smoking and an excellent way to help people get rid of nicotine.

But there’s growing evidence that they pose a similar health risk to smoking and could entice a whole new generation of nicotine users who wouldn’t normally use cigarettes.