A recent We Vape poll shows a quarter of UK Labour voters were less likely to vote for the party again over the Tobacco and Vapes Bill. It also shows 67% of all vapers feel stigmatised in UK society.
Britain in Focus polled 2,775 adults in the UK on the biggest issues facing the country, public health and attitudes to vaping.
Poll Results
When asked about the biggest causes of people’s poor physical health, “people eating junk food” was cited by 41% of those polled. Lack of exercise (34%) and poverty (34%) were also seen as major contributors. The state of the NHS is also on people’s minds, with lack of access to a GP appointment (27%) and the NHS waiting list backlog (26%) seen as causes of poor health.
People smoking was seen by 19% as being one of the biggest causes of poor physical health, while people consuming alcohol (12%) and taking illegal drugs (11%) came further down the list of causes.
Just 5.6% of those polled thought vaping was one of the biggest causes of poor physical health in Britain, slightly less than the use of pesticides on food (6.2%).
43% of those polled said a licence for vape retailers – similar to that for alcohol and cigarettes – would be the most effective way of reducing underage vaping. 38% want this backed up with higher fines for retailers selling underage vapes. A ban on social media advertising of vapes (26%) was also supported.
Labour supporters tended to support these measures more than the average voter, with 50% seeing a vape licence as effective, 45% wanting higher fines for retailers selling underage vapes and 31% backing a ban on social media advertising of vapes.
Reducing the range of flavours available was only seen by 19% as an effective way of tackling underage vaping. Just 18% believed a ban on vaping in public spaces should be used to tackle underage vaping.
Just 24% of Labour voters see reducing the range of flavours as an effective way to tackle underage vaping, with only 19% believing a ban of vaping in public places would be effective.
How Would UK Vapers Respond To Further Regulation?
Over a third of vapers in the UK today say they would ignore a ban on flavoured vapes, saying they would continue to buy them online, from abroad or elsewhere.
5% say they would create their own vapes in order to get around the ban on flavours.
While 10% of vapers would quit rather than use tobacco flavour vapes and 27% would carry on, 11% say they would start smoking or smoke more often if vape flavours were reduced.
60% of vapers support the idea of a vaping licence, so that only licenced sellers would be permitted to sell vaping products, similar to the licence required to sell alcohol. 12% oppose the measure, with 24% being neither for or against (4% replying “Don’t know”).
Among Labour voters who vape, support was even higher with 70% backing the move and 11% opposed (15% neither for or against, 4% saying “Don’t know”).
39% of all vapers say a ban on flavours would make them less likely to vote Labour – with 30% saying it would make them “much less likely” to back the party at the next election.
Just 3% of vapers say a ban on flavours would make them more likely to vote for Keir Starmer’s party next time. 48% said it would make no difference to how they would vote.
Among Labour voters who vape, 24% said a ban on flavours would make them less likely to vote Labour.
67% of people who vape feel that vapers are being stigmatised in society because of anti-vaping measures, with just 7% disagreeing (21% neither agree nor disagree, 6% are not sure).
Feelings are similarly high among Labour voters who vape, with 59% feeling stigmatised.
We Vape Response
We Vape have published their response which I have copied and pasted below…
“1/4 OF LABOUR VAPERS MAY ABANDON PARTY OVER NEW LAWS
·TOBACCO AND VAPES BILL ‘ATTACK ON WORKING CLASS’
·24 PER CENT ‘LESS LIKELY’ TO VOTE LABOUR AGAIN
·TWO THIRDS OF VAPERS FEEL ‘STIGMATISED’ IN UK, WE VAPE POLL
REVEALS
·LACK OF TRUST IN GOV MORE IMPORTANT THAN CLIMATE CHANGE
LABOUR voters who vape are set to desert the party over new e-cig laws, the largest poll of its kind has found.
Some 24% of current party supporters who use the devices said a ban on flavours – proposed by health secretary Wes Streeting as part of the forthcoming Tobacco and Vapes Bill – would make them less likely to vote Labour in the future.
The shock findings come as two thirds of UK vapers said they now felt ‘stigmatised’ in society.
Some 67% said they felt targeted for their e-cig use, despite 53% of Britain’s 5.6million vapers being ex smokers who used the NHS-approved devices to quit.
Feelings were particularly high among Labour voters who vape, with 59% saying they felt under attack from proposed laws supposedly designed to stop children vaping.
The new laws will not entice new voters either, with 39% of vapers supporting other parties saying a flavours ban would make them less likely to switch to Labour, and 30% saying it would make them “much less likely” to back the party at the next election.
Commissioned by campaign group We Vape, Britain in Focus polled 2,775 adults in the UK on attitudes to vaping, public health and the biggest issues facing the country. Two focus groups, one of vapers and the other of non-vapers, were also held to further inform the September findings. This was in addition to data from earlier polling on attitudes towards underage vaping.
Across the data, 79% of the public supported a vape licencing scheme, similar to the alcohol industry, which would fine and shut down illicit traders. Some 43% also believed this would be the most effective way of reducing underage vaping. The data revealed 79% wanted their local MP to back a vape licencing scheme, with 38% wanting higher fines for retailers selling vapes to minors.
Among Labour voters who vape, support was even higher with 70% backing the move and 11% opposed.
We Vape founder Mark Oates said:
“Our latest findings show millions of vapers now believe they are under attack, with vapers who support Labour so concerned about the new laws planned under the Tobacco and Vapes bill they are considering abandoning the party.
“We know smoking is more prevalent among working class communities, many of whom historically voted Labour, so these findings suggest any potential bans are considered yet another attack on the very group Labour was founded to protect.
“Flavours in particular play a crucial role in attracting smokers who wish to transition to vaping, and limiting their availability could lead many former smokers to relapse into cigarette use.
“Additionally, a ban on disposable vapes is likely to fuel the existing black market, which is already becoming increasingly problematic. The Labour Party faces significant challenges and risks losing voter support if it continues to impose additional restrictions on vaping, especially given research indicating the detrimental effects of such measures. The Tobacco and Vapes bill presents an opportunity to implement a licensing system for vape sales, which would prevent access to minors, ensure premarket testing to eliminate illicit products from shop shelves, and protect flavours that are essential for helping individuals remain smoke-free. If the government disregards the concerns of both vapers and non-vapers, the consequence could be a sharp rise in the dangerous black market, which allows access to children, along with an increase in smoking rates.
“We urge Wes Streeting and the Prime Minister to consider what is best for the people, rather than introducing even more laws they will find impossible to enforce.”
We Vape recently carried out an investigation into the rampant vape black market saturating the UK. Our findings prompted a letter to Wes Streeting, which has so far gone unanswered.
The latest poll showed 40% of vapers plan to defy a ban on flavoured vapes, while over a third would ignore a ban on flavoured vapes, saying they would continue to buy them online, from abroad or elsewhere. It also showed 5% would create their own vapes in order to get around the ban on flavours. Previous research has shown nearly one in three of the UK’s 4.5million vapers will return to cigarettes if flavours are banned.
The We Vape poll also revealed the public does not believe the government has the right priorities since taking power in July.
Just 14% of the public think the Prime Minister is focusing on the right issues, while only 37% of Labour voters agree.
Worryingly for Labour, 18% said trust in the government was now a top three concern, while just 11% considered climate change a priority issue.
Cost of living came out as the leading worry (42%), followed by immigration (30%) and A&E and hospital services (26%).
Just 5.6% of those polled thought vaping was one of the biggest causes of poor physical health in Britain, slightly less than the use of pesticides on food (6.2%).”