Europe’s vaping crackdown is about to backfire spectacularly. As countries across the continent gear up to ban disposable vapes and puff devices in an attempt to protect the environment and safeguard children, data warns of a potential surge in the black market. While the intent behind such bans is commendable, evidence suggests education and raising awareness are the answer, not bans.
Twenty years ago, Portugal decriminalized drug use, prioritizing education, rehabilitation, and harm reduction, instead of outright bans. By drastically lowering narcotic usage, this case became a global case study. There is a clear parallel with vaping. Paradoxical as it may seem, to benefit people’s health, vaping should be kept legal, regulated and accessible, while focusing on education and minimizing risks – just as Portugal’s approach emphasized harm reduction and education over bans. This will provide similar opportunities to reduce harm, help smokers transition to safer alternatives, and ultimately quit smoking.
Banning vaping, particularly for young adults, risks undermining its proven effectiveness as a smoking cessation tool, with studies showing it to be 95 percent less harmful than smoking and aiding 74 percent of users in quitting. Many people use vaping to quit smoking. Keeping it legal ensures those trying to break free from a smoking addiction have access to less harmful nicotine options. There is even evidence that e-cigarettes are more effective than traditional nicotine replacement therapies for smoking cessation, such as pouches, with significantly fewer health risks compared to smoking.
Keeping it legal allows the authorities to implement education campaigns, promoting informed decisions rather than leaving users in the dark about risks or benefits. It allows governments to regulate the products, ensuring they meet safety standards. A ban on the other hand, often leads to unregulated black markets with dangerous, and lower-quality products.
Nonetheless, today, the number of countries across Europe turning to vape bans is growing. Spain, Denmark, and the United Kingdom are just some of the nations which have recently announced such measures. Similarly, France plans to ban nicotine pouches, citing their appeal to teenagers and potential to lead to nicotine addiction. These actions have also fueled concerns about the rise of black market trade. In fact, recent study shows the black market for vapes is already surging, and imposing such bans could exacerbate the problem further.
Data from countries which have already implemented such policies confirms this. Since October, vapes in Australia can only be sold in pharmacies with restricted flavors, requiring customers to undergo a clinical assessment for suitability, following a ban from earlier this year which prohibits retailers from selling them. Despite this, only an estimated quarter of illegal vapes are intercepted at the border, highlighting enforcement challenges and the resilience of illicit trade.
While bans may appear to instantly “fix” the issue through regulation, making them appealing to politicians, they risk creating the illusion of a solution without addressing the core issues. This makes bans less effective in the long term, especially because many people will still try to access prohibited products, which are often readily available on the black market.
Instead of solely relying on restrictions, promoting positive behavior change offers a more effective approach to lifestyle issues. Selling vapes to minors is already illegal, and rightly so. European nations must enforce this law before creating new ones. Education empowers teens to understand the risks and make healthier choices. That’s the way to create a more sustainable impact. It may not yield instant results, but over time, it can result in lasting change.
A recent study conducted in American high schools found that even a single-session vaping prevention curriculum significantly improved students’ perceptions of e-cigarette health risks. This research is encouraging.
Collaboration with schools and parents would be crucial for the success of the educational campaigns. Involving both parties should be paramount as it would create a supportive environment where young people can better internalize and accept the core messages.
When addressing youth, educational campaigns and raising awareness can have additional positive effects. For instance, they would directly contribute to youth empowerment by supporting informed decision-making based on knowledge rather than external influences. This helps teenagers and young people build resilience against peer pressure, not just for vaping, but for other harmful habits as well.
Youth vaping requires a sensible approach. Europe must focus on educating young people, prioritizing prevention rather than solely relying on bans and punishment. Only then can we achieve positive results in lasting behavior change and reduce the demand for vapes among minors, ultimately helping to prevent the rise of the black market.
