Flavoured Vaping Products in Tobacco Harm Reduction: A Regulatory Perspective

Reducing the harms associated with cigarette smoking is a global public health priority. Both the individual‑ and population‑level health impacts of smoking can be reduced by novel products which deliver nicotine, but the use of which decreases user exposure to the harmful chemical toxicants responsible for smoking‑related disease. Electronic vaping products (EVP) heat a flavoured liquid, most commonly containing nicotine, to generate an inhalable aerosol. Smokers who switch exclusively to using EVP reduce their exposure to the harmful toxicants found in cigarette smoke, and increasing evidence supports that EVP can help smokers quit smoking and support tobacco harm reduction (THR) efforts. However, concerns are being raised regarding the use of EVP among those for whom they are not intended, particularly youth, which could mitigate their THR potential. Some of this concern is attributed to the use of non‑tobacco flavours in EVP, and there have been many calls to ban the use of such flavours. The aim of this review is to examine the recent scientific literature concerning non‑tobacco flavours in EVP, focussing on the potential toxicological impact of these flavours, whether flavours affect abuse liability/dependence potential and whether they support switching away from cigarette smoking, unintended use of flavoured EVP, and the impact of existing bans and the effect of regulation. Overall, we find that non‑tobacco flavoured EVP are not of a greater risk to health and have no greater abuse liability than tobacco flavoured EVP. There is some evidence that flavoured EVP may support switching among adult smokers, while unintended use may be experimental and may not translate into long‑term use or act as a 'gateway' into smoking. Current flavour bans have been largely ineffective in modifying use behaviour and may have unintended consequences such as increasing smoking prevalence and promoting illicit trade. Overall, the population‑level THR benefit of flavoured EVP, in terms of reducing smoking rates, largely outweighs the risks associated with unintended use. Maintaining flavour diversity is an important consideration when putting in place regulatory frameworks that aim to maximise the switching benefit for adult smokers and improve overall population‑level public health.