Vape industry advertorial banned for promoting unlicensed e-cigarettes

01 May 2024 , 08:48
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The independent British Vape Trade Association claimed the ad presented factual information about vaping (Image: PA Wire/PA Images)
The independent British Vape Trade Association claimed the ad presented factual information about vaping (Image: PA Wire/PA Images)

An advertorial from a British vape industry body has been banned for promoting unlicensed e-cigarettes in a newspaper.

The Independent British Vape Trade Association (IBVTA) advert appearewd in the East Lothian Courier on October 26 claiming: "Let's clear the smoke of confusion: Vaping saves smokers' lives." The piece continued: "A constant stream of negative headlines is eroding the public's understanding of vaping's benefits, particularly among smokers.

The IBVTA is now seeking to challenge some of the misinformation we've seen over recent months and to educate smokers about the benefits of vaping." It highlighted that single-use vapes are key for smokers trying to quit due to their simplicity, with stats showing 53% of regular smokers and 61% of recent quitters opting for these devices.

Another claim made was that flavoured vaping products are essential for Scotland's smoke-free goals. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) investigated whether the ad breached rules by promoting unlicensed, nicotine-containing e-cigarettes and their components in a newspaper.

The IBVTA said the ad presented factual information about vaping and presented findings from a piece of research about consumers’ views on vaping. They said the ad was published during a time of “public misunderstanding of vaping harms, including that vaping was more harmful than smoking”.

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The ASA said the ad was published in a local Scottish newspaper in response to the Scottish Government’s proposal to ban the sale of disposable vapes by 2025. The regulator noted the ad did not refer to a specific brand of vape or vaping product, and therefore did not directly promote nicotine-containing e-cigarettes.

But it said the ad’s claims around the benefits of single-use vapes had the indirect effect of promoting them. The ad included a link to the IBVTA website, which featured a "Find a vape shop" option, which the ASA said further indirectly promoted unlicensed e-cigarettes.

The ASA concluded: "Because the ad had the indirect effect of promoting e-cigarettes, which were not licensed as medicines in non-permitted media, we concluded that it breached the Code." It ruled that the ad must not appear again.

The IBVTA responded: "A YouGov survey in January of this year found that less than a quarter of British adults surveyed could correctly identify that smoking is far more harmful than vaping. The IBVTA is therefore disappointed that adjusting the balance of misinformation in the media is not deemed legal through any paid advertorial means."

Lawrence Matheson

Advertising Standards Authority, Yougov

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