When you look at the attitudes to vaping around the world, it doesn’t take long to realise the UK has one of the most positive and forward-thinking attitudes to the habit. Smoking is bad for health in lots of ways. However, while plenty of other countries around the world think the same applies to vaping too, that’s not the case here.
There have been restrictions though. While the UK is still under EU rule, regulations put forward by the EU must be adhered to. Furthermore, in the past, it was impossible to make claims relating to health when advertising electronic cigarettes and associated products.
Two words are taken out of the advertising regulations on vaping
Yep – just two words. Previously, marketing communications could not “contain health or medicinal claims unless the product is authorised for those purposes by the MHRA.” The change to the rules has led to the removal of the words “health or” from the paragraph.
That means claims relating to health can now be made… to a point.
Good news for the vaping industry?
Yes… but the wording still means there are strict limitations on how vaping products can be promoted. For example, the only claims that could be made would be in a broad sense, rather than being specific to one product. If a manufacturer is going to promote a product with a claim attached, it must be able to prove that claim with suitable data and evidence. If it cannot, the wording would need to be changed.
So, while the change is a small one that could potentially have huge consequences for the industry, it still presents those wishing to promote the health benefits of their products with a minefield to pick their way through.
Could health claims mean more people switch to vaping as a safer option?
It’s clear there are still hoops to jump through if anyone wishes to make health claims connected to one or more vaping products. However, this change is a step in the right direction. We can only hope it leads to a clearer picture of how much safer vaping is when compared to smoking. One survey found nearly half of those questioned thought vaping was just as bad as smoking. Clearly, there is still some work to be done here. Will this change to the rules surrounding advertising turn the tide in a more positive direction?
