An Important Conversation
As innovative nicotine products like vapour products and tobacco-free oral nicotine pouches become more visible the world over and lately more so in Sri Lanka, they spark an important conversation. On one hand, they offer a significant opportunity for the millions of adults who smoke cigarettes to switch to a potentially less harmful alternative. On the other hand, there is a legitimate and critical concern: ensuring these products stay out of the hands of the underaged.
The recent reports of a student in Ratnapura selling vapes by the puff to school students is an alarming example highlighting the need for sensible regulations in smokeless nicotine products. Vapes and tobacco-free pouches are for adults only. Full stop. Underage prevention is not just a regulatory requirement but a moral imperative.
The Challenge We Must Meet Head-On
The promise of tobacco harm reduction is profound, but it is jeopardised if the public and policymakers fear that progress for adult smokers will come at the expense of the next generation. On the contrary, robust regulations are a cornerstone to prevent underage access.
Irresponsible practices – whether in marketing, product design, or retail – cannot be tolerated. They threaten public trust, invite heavy-handed regulation or bans, and ultimately undermine the opportunity to move millions of smokers away from combustible cigarettes.
Harm reduction for adults and robust protection for the underage are not mutually exclusive goals. In fact, they are two sides of the same coin. A trustworthy category is one that is trusted to serve only its intended audience.
The Solution: A Partnership for Responsibility
Building this trust requires a zero-tolerance approach to underage access. A partnership between industry and regulators is essential to implement a framework of practical yet stringent, enforceable controls.
An effective regulatory framework must include robust age-verification at all points of sale. Advanced technologies like digital age verification must be supported and severe penalties for any retailer found selling to the underage must be rigorously enforced.
It also requires strict rules for responsible marketing. All marketing must be adult-oriented, and measures such as restricting minor appealing flavour names, packaging, and social media campaigns that could be construed as appealing to the underaged, are essential.
Finally, it means designing products for adults, not the underaged. This involves using factual-style flavour descriptors and avoiding designs that mimic candy or minor-oriented products. The current, completely illegal vape market is flooded with non-compliant products that look like ice-cream cones and juice boxes. This trend must be stopped with targeted regulations – total product prohibition is not the answer.
The challenge of preventing underage access requires a shared resolve from industry, regulators, and enforcement bodies alike.
Vapes and tobacco-free pouches have the potential to play a transformative role in public health, helping adult smokers in Sri Lankamake a better choice, while ensuring that the underage remain fully protected.