Quitting smoking thanks to e-liquid flavour variety

While flavours in e-cigs are often singled out as the reason young people are curious to try them, e-liquid variety is a key aspect of vaping that helps smokers quit. Recent studies have shown that having a taste for certain flavours helps former smokers adopt electronic cigarettes. There remains a lot of controversy, however, on the subject of inciting non-smokers to vape VS helping smokers quit the habit.

An American study recently focused on this aspect, how vaping enthusiasts consider flavours. Published in the Harm Reduction Journal, the study seems to recommend using attractive flavours to draw in consumers. The study also indicated that 33.5% of vapers begin with fruit-flavoures e-liquids. Only 24% of them favour classic tobacco varieties.

When smokers develop a taste for these flavours, they find it easier to stop smoking cigarettes. This is the conclusion of Christopher Russel, a medical doctor at the Centre for Substance Use Research (Glasgow). As more smokers are drawn to delicious e-liquid flavours, smoking is slowly giving way to vaping, proven to be much less dangerous for health.

 Are tasty flavours going extinct?

This recent research is not the first to study the kinds of flavouring agents found in e-liquids. In 2013, a study by Doctor Farsalinos proved that flavour variety is key to helping smokers stay away from cigarettes. The study also proved that the trend towards sweet and fruity flavours is not only present in young populations, but in particular with former smokers.

And despite the fact that having varied and attractive flavours can be central to keeping smokers from relapsing, authorities remain sceptical. For a few months now, a number of American cities have banned the sale of flavoured e-liquids. This is the case in San Francisco, quickly followed by New York and Chicago.

The debate remains quite active on the subject of flavoured e-liquid, and it will be up to the FDA to decide. If young people are tempted by vaping, this does not mean they will turn to cigarettes as a result. By marketing sweet and food-related flavours over tobacco flavours, it would seem to push people away from cigarettes even moreso. The focus should be on helping people quit smoking, and vaping with its many flavours is a step in this direction.