Tholos Statement on Sweden Protecting Flavored Vape Access

NEWS RELEASE:

June 21, 2022

Contact: Tim Andrews [email protected] (Director of Consumer Issues, Tholos Foundation)

Stockholm, Sweden – Earlier today, Sweden’s national legislature, the Riksdag, voted down a measure to ban all flavored nicotine-containing vape liquid. The Tholos Foundation would like to highlight the position held by these legislators who rejecting this misguided proposal that would have had hurt public health in Sweden, harmed the economy, and weakened Sweden’s national security.

The Tholos Foundation had been performing outreach and educational efforts in Sweden. In addition to distributing scientific evidence in favor of e-cigarettes, Tholos commissioned the world-renowned market research firm Ipsos to perform polls of Swedish vapers to identify the expected outcomes of a flavor prohibition.

Tim Andrews, Tholos’ Director of Consumer Issues, responded to the vote by saying, “Our polling data showed clearly that access to flavors is critical, as 87% of Swedish vapers consider flavors to be important when it comes to their decision to vape, and many Swedish vapers reported vaping to reduce or quit smoking.”

Last month, Andrews traveled to Stockholm to speak at an event for the Environment and Public Health Institute. Andrews presented the Ipsos/Tholos polling data during his speech and urged Sweden to consider the large swaths of data that show flavor bans do more harm than good.

Andrews continued, “The data shows that a vape flavor ban would put the health of Swedish vapers at significant risk. 57% of Swedish vapers would return to smoking, turn to the illicit market, or mix their own liquids. E-cigarettes are 95% safer than combustible cigarettes and at-home vape liquids can contain dangerous additives. Further, the illicit nicotine market is largely run by international crime syndicates that use their profits to fund human trafficking and terrorism.”

The polling can be found here.

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