Overview

• A UCL and King’s College London study in Lancet Regional Health Europe tested standardised packs and limited flavour descriptors with 2,770 children and just under 4,000 adults.
• Interest among 11–18-year-olds in peers trying vapes fell from 53% with branded packs to 38% with standardised designs using usual flavour names.
• Adult interest remained similar across pack types, and perceptions of vaping harm relative to cigarettes did not change.
• The experiment compared four presentations: branded, plain white with usual descriptors, plain with limited descriptors, and standardised with coded flavour names.
• Action on Smoking and Health urged Parliament to pass the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, following this year’s disposable vape ban, to enable regulation of flavours, packaging and retail display.