Welcoming the report and recommendations of the Science and Technology Committee on e-cigarettes, Daniel Pryor, Head of Programmes at the Adam Smith Institute and author of the ASI’s recent paper “1 Million Years of Life: How harm reduction in tobacco policy can save lives” says today that:

“Today’s report is fantastic news for public health and consumer choice. If its recommendations are adopted, many lives will be saved.”

“Most importantly, the Committee is urging a rethink on how these products can be advertised to cigarette smokers. The majority of UK smokers don’t know that e-cigarettes are significantly safer than smoking, and this situation is getting worse. Public health authorities are clear on the relative risks, and we're throwing lives away by preventing vendors from relaying this information to smokers.”

“Taxing e-cigs and heat-not-burn products based on their relative risk would be a smart move, but contrasts with worrying rumours of a proposed vaping tax from the Treasury. Lifting EU restrictions on tank size and nicotine limits—which make vaping less appealing—would also encourage more smokers to make the switch.”

“The UK can lead the world in tobacco harm reduction, and it’s encouraging to see politicians getting behind a liberal approach: one that is based on hard evidence, not scaremongering.”

For further comment or to arrange an interview please contact Matt Kilcoyne via email (matt@adamsmith.org) or phone (02072224995, 07584778207).