Vape Cloud: Friend or Foe? Unveiling the Truth Behind Puff of Flavour

Have you ever caught a friend chilling with a vape, blowing out clouds of fruity aromas? You might wonder, "Is this the new cool, or is it something I should worry about?"

Vaping, where you inhale and exhale flavoured aerosol from an e-cigarette, has become super popular, especially with younger folks. The big question is: is it safer than cigarettes? The jury's still out on the long-term health effects.

(Davey, 2023). Retrieved from The Guardian.

This blog dives into the tricky world of e-cigarettes, looking at both the health risks and the economic boom it's created, and what could be its possible solutions to tackle the issues that rise.

E-cigarettes unmasked: The costs we all share

Economic activities often have unintended consequences for third parties, known as externalities (as shown in the diagram). While the electronic-cigarette industry creates jobs and contributes tax revenue, it also generates negative externalities. Disposable vapes raise environmental concerns due to their single-use nature and high potential for littering (Jones, 2023). As the usage of disposable vape is skyrocketing, most of these devices would end up in landfills thus causing environmental problems, in 2022 the UK incorrectly scrapped 40 tonnes of lithium contained in the disposable vapes. Lithium is an extremely useful component that can be used to create batteries and these 40 tonnes could have been made into 5,000 car batteries if recycled which would have reduced the UK’s carbon footprint and in turn created a positive externality.

       (Ashford, K, 2023). Retrieved from ITV

 Additionally, a report from the BMJ suggests a correlation between e-cigarette use and increased public healthcare utilisation (BMJ, n.d.). One in ten from British populations are vape users and have high risk of developing health problems such as respiratory, cardiovascular, oral health and cancer. Out of this amount around 69% of current vapers are aged from 11-17 (Gov.uk, 2024) which speaks for itself to show the crisis at hand. This gives us information regarding how the issue is causing another negative externality passed onto society. According to the UK Government, smokers (both cigarette and vape consumers) cost the economy £17 billion annually (Gov.uk, 2024). If they opt for public healthcare services, this would deprive public funds from other important sectors such as education. These negative externalities impose unseen costs on society that are not reflected in the market price of vaping products.

Cloud of Confusion: Information Asymmetry and the Power of Marketing

Vaping also presents a case of information asymmetry. Vaping companies often possess more knowledge about the product's health risks than the user. The Economist highlights the economic force of the vaping industry, which can leverage marketing strategies to downplay potential health risks and emphasise convenience and appealing flavours (Economist, 2023). This lack of complete information can lead consumers, particularly young people, to underestimate the dangers of vaping.

(Wigglesworth, K, 2024) Retrieved from The Guardian

Interestingly, there are currently less regulations for electronic cigarette firms surrounding their marketing when compared with cigarettes, meaning they can make their products look as appealing as possible with funky flavours and colours (Ford, 2021). Combining this with the lack of information regarding the danger of usage makes for a deadly collaboration specifically for the younger generation in which the vaping popularity has surged in recent years. The main reason for why it is such an issue for the younger audience is because around 4 of 5 smokers started before the age of 20 and are addicted for life (Gov.uk, 2024).

The main reason for their allowed presence in the market is that they can help smokers begin to quit because they can still ‘smoke’ something that gives them their desired nicotine delivery but without the smoking of a cigarette which contains over 600 ingredients in which 69 of them are known to cause cancer (American Lung Association, 2023). So, in the government's eyes, they want to keep e-cigarettes in the market with the sole aim of getting smokers to stop. However, this has essentially backfired with vapes going ‘viral’ causing their resurgence of popularity amongst young adults and teenagers, as data shows us that youth vaping has tripled in the last 3 years and 1 in 5 children have tried vaping (Gov.uk, 2024).

Clearing the Air: Solutions for a Sustainable Future

To address these challenges and create a more balanced vaping landscape, several solutions can be considered:

• Regulation: Implementing stricter regulations on disposable vapes, including restrictions on flavours and materials, can address environmental concerns and potentially discourage use. Additionally, stricter marketing regulations can help level the information playing field by ensuring consumers receive accurate information about the health risks. In the same way that cigarettes have a large amount of well-known anti-smoking information available now however the same cannot be said about vaping. The government should aim to popularise the dangers of e-cigarette use and how the safest option is abstinence.
• Taxation: Introducing a vape tax can account for the negative externalities associated with vaping, such as the potential strain on healthcare systems. The revenue generated by this tax could then be directed towards public health initiatives or research into the long-term health effects of vaping. The government is actually taking this route as stated in Jeremy Hunt’s budget speech on the 6th of March with a plan to introduce a new vaping product duty from October 26th which will be paired with a one-off increase in tobacco duties (GOV.UK, 2024). This will make vapes more expensive and with the aim of reducing the amount bought.

Facing the Reality: Concluding Vaping's Ripple Effect on Society

In conclusion, e-cigarettes (specifically disposable ones) present a complex economic issue with both positive and negative externalities. Addressing information asymmetry and the true cost of vaping through regulations, taxation, and education can help create a more balanced approach. By prioritising public health without stifling economic opportunities entirely, a clearer future for vaping can be achieved.

References

American Lung Association (2023). What’s In a Cigarette? [online] www.lung.org. Available at: https://www.lung.org/quit-smoking/smoking-facts/whats-in-a-cigarette#:~:text=There%20are%20approximately%20600%20ingredients.

BMJ. (n.d.). Using e-cigarettes may lead to higher use of and spending on health services. BMJ. https://www.bmj.com/company/newsroom/using-e-cigarettes-may-lead-to-higher-use-of-and-spending-on-health-services/

Economist. (2023, November 14). Vaping is big business in Britain. The Economist. Retrieved April 16, 2024, from https://www.economist.com/britain/2023/11/14/vaping-is-big-business-in-britain

Ford, A. (2021, April 15). E-Cigarette Advertising in the UK: A Content Analysis of Traditional and Social Media Advertising to Observe Compliance with Current Regulations. NCBI. Retrieved April 17, 2024, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8496471/

Gov.uk. (2024). Creating a smokefree generation and tackling youth vaping: what you need to know – Department of Health and Social Care Media Centre. [online] Available at: https://healthmedia.blog.gov.uk/2024/04/15/creating-a-smokefree-generation-and-tackling-youth-vaping-what-you-need-to-know/.

GOV.UK. (2024). Vaping Products Duty consultation. [online] Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/vaping-products-duty-consultation.

Jones, G. D. (2023, December 21). #studentviews: How could policy reduce the harm caused by disposable vapes? Economics observatory. https://www.economicsobservatory.com/studentviews-how-could-policy-reduce-the-harm-caused-by-disposable-vapes

Scheiby, K. (2023). Are disposable vapes bad for the environment? [online] Greenpeace UK. Available at: https://www.greenpeace.org.uk/news/are-disposable-vapes-bad-for-the-environment/.