Health Claims ‘Allowed’ For Vaping Ads

April 29, 2022 2 min read

The UK has agreed that adverts selling vape kits and other vaping items can include health claims.

However, the Vaping Post reported that there are some conditions that need to be followed if health claims are made about any vaping products. The Committees of Advertising Practice (CAP and BCAP) announced that they will no longer block health claims from appearing in adverts for e-cigarettes.

The most important thing to note about this announcement is that any vaping company that wants to claim its e-cigarettes are healthier than smoking must be able to support this with research that is linked to the particular range it’s selling.

As a result, manufacturers will likely need to commission their own studies on vaping and its health effects for their products if they want to make such claims about vaping being healthier than smoking in their advertising materials.

But e-cigarettes are an important tool being used by the NHS and other health organisations to encourage people to quit smoking. According to the NHS, 2.9 million people in the UK currently use vapes.

And of these, 1.5 million have completely stopped smoking cigarettes. The health service states that they “carry a fraction of the risk of cigarettes and can be particularly effective when combined with other quitting support”.

It also notes that the best way to use vaping to help quit smoking is to get a vape liquid with the right concentration of nicotine to help manage your cravings.

Last year, a study was published examining the long-term impacts of vaping compared to traditional smoking. It found that those smokers who switched entirely to e-cigarettes had much lower levels of toxic chemicals and carcinogens in their bodies than current smokers.

The research also highlighted the fact that those who switched between vaping and regular cigarettes didn’t experience the same health benefits. Although this study used a relatively small sample size, it was important because it is one of the first pieces of research to focus on real-world users.

With the new year just around the corner, now could be the perfect time to think about how to cut back on smoking and make the switch to e-cigarettes. January is traditionally a time for resolutions, and if you start exploring the market for vapes now you’ll be ready when the new year starts.

If you’re not sure what kind of e-cigarette you should buy, or what vape liquid you should be using, speak to your local vape shop to get some advice about how to get started.

It seems that advertising for e-cigarettes is important in terms of encouraging people to quit smoking. The Vaping Post shared a US study that found there would be approximately 105,000 fewer quitters if vape adverts were removed from TV.

This further highlights the importance of the CAP and BCAP ruling relating to health claims in e-cigarette adverts in the UK, and could mean that even more smokers are persuaded to switch to vaping as a means to help them quit smoking.