Flavour Bans Will Fuel Smoking
The World Health Organization is renewing a disinformation campaign against vape flavours, bans that will fuel smoking and black markets according to the World Vapers’ Alliance
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by Dave Cross
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The World Health Organization’s latest push to ban flavours in vaping, nicotine pouches, and other nicotine products is a reckless attack on harm reduction and adult smokers’ right to quit. The WHO’s claims that flavours target youth and make quitting harder are simply not supported by evidence. In reality, flavours are a vital tool for millions of adult smokers looking to quit and stay smoke-free.
The World Health Organization is saying: “Flavours in tobacco, nicotine and related products enhance attractiveness and appeal, especially to young people, contributing to experimentation, initiation and sustained tobacco and nicotine use. Flavours are present in all tobacco, nicotine and related product categories and are marketed aggressively, especially to children and young people. Flavours in these products also make it more difficult for users to quit. Further, flavours in tobacco, nicotine and related products have not been shown to be safe when inhaled and can have direct toxic effects and indirect adverse effects.
“Creating public awareness about the impact of flavours is key to protecting current and future generations from tobacco- and nicotine-related dangers. This information sheet ‘The role of flavours in increasing the appeal of tobacco, nicotine and related products’ is intended for a wide range of audiences, including the public, but with a focus on regulators to guide the development, adoption, implementation and enforcement of strong measures that would make tobacco, nicotine and related products less attractive and appealing, especially to children and young people.”
The World Vapers’ Alliance states that research consistently shows that the vast majority of adult vapers are using flavours.
Flavoured nicotine products are proven to help smokers quit, according to a Cochrane Review paper. The World Vapers’ Alliance points out that studies also show that adults who use them are far more likely to stop smoking than those who use tobacco-flavoured alternatives.
“Banning flavours will not protect young people—it will push adult vapers back to cigarettes or into the black market, undermining public health and reversing progress in reducing smoking rates,” the World Vapers’ Alliance adds.
Experience from cities and countries that have tried flavour bans, such as San Francisco and Estonia, shows that prohibition leads to increased smoking and a surge in illicit trade, not better health outcomes.
Michael Landl, Director of the World Vapers’ Alliance, said: “The WHO’s flavour ban proposal is a gift to black market criminals. Flavours are not a trick to hook kids—they are a lifeline for adults trying to quit smoking. Policymakers must reject this unscientific approach and focus on real solutions: targeted youth protection, access to safer alternatives, and honest information.”
The World Vapers’ Alliance concludes that flavour bans are a “simplistic, headline-grabbing measure” that will cost lives. “Governments must stand up for science and smokers’ rights—not failed prohibition.”
References:
- Debunking the WHO’s Flavour Ban Proposal - https://worldvapersalliance.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Briefing-WHO-Flavour-Ban.pdf
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Author
Dave Cross
Journalist at POTVDave is a freelance writer; with articles on music, motorbikes, football, pop-science, vaping and tobacco harm reduction in Sounds, Melody Maker, UBG, AWoL, Bike, When Saturday Comes, Vape News Magazine, and syndicated across the Johnston Press group. He was published in an anthology of “Greatest Football Writing”, but still believes this was a mistake. Dave contributes sketches to comedy shows and used to co-host a radio sketch show. He’s worked with numerous start-ups to develop content for their websites.
