NHS stop-smoking companies shelling out controversial vapes

Fruit and dessert-flavoured vapes are being dished out by council and NHS stop-smoking services, an investigation has revealed.

The British Medical Association this week called on the Government to put tougher restrictions on vapes to protect children. 

This included restricting vapes to tobacco-flavours only, which are likely to be less attractive to those who have never smoked.

But a study by the UK Vaping Industry Association found the health service and local authorities are using fruity flavours to help smokers kick their habit.

Council and NHS stop-smoking services are dishing out fruit and dessert-flavoured vapes (file photo)

Vapes on display at a store in London. The British Medical Association has called on the Government to restrict vapes to tobacco flavours only 

Thirty-one stop-smoking services responded to Freedom of Information requests, with 95 per cent saying they directly provide vapes or vouchers for vapes.

Of these, every one provided flavoured products, including fruit, mint/menthol, tobacco and dessert options. Some 44 per cent recorded fruit options as the most popular among smokers or most often given out.

The Royal College of Physicians has previously warned against the wholesale limiting of vape flavours, saying they are an ‘integral part of the effectiveness of vaping as a quit aid’.

But Dr Penelope Toff, chairman of the BMA’s public health medicine committee, said: ‘The fact innocent-sounding fruit and other flavours are currently popular among those using vapes to stop smoking, does not outweigh their harmful impact on those who would never have smoked, especially children.’

John Dunne, of the UKVIA, said: ‘Banning all non-tobacco flavours is a completely misguided, dangerous and deluded approach which will hurt smokers, vapers and legitimate retailers.’