Five times as many Scots use e-cigarettes now compared to 2010
The government should regulate the e-cigarette market and look at how the devices are advertised, according to a prominent anti-smoking charity.
Ash Scotland said although it believes e-cigarettes will cause fewer health problems than real cigarettes, they still contain nicotine and so are not completely harmless.
It is not in tobacco companies interest for people to become free of nicotine addiction
The charity has called for a ban on under-18 age sales, as is being proposed in England and Wales, following a YouGov poll that showed their use in Scotland has increased by over five times in the past four years, from 3% in 2010 to 17% in 2014.
While the poll showed there was almost no evidence of regular use of e-cigarettes among those who have never smoked, the charity said a vigorous public debate is needed.
“There are particular concerns with the growing involvement of tobacco companies in this market because of their history of prioritising profits over people and misleading consumers,” Ash Scotland chief executive Sheila Duffy said.
“It is not in their interest for people to become free of nicotine addiction. We must defend Scotland’s vision for creating a generation free from tobacco and ensure that e-cigarettes work for this, not against it.”
The charity said although it is unlikely the smoking ban would be extended to e-cigrettes because of a lack of scientific evidence that second-hand emissions cause health problems, it supported venues that have banned the practice.
