Plain packaging study – behind today’s headlines

A study published earlier this month is making headlines today, claiming that using plain packaging could reduce the number of children who take up vaping while still being used by adults as a tool to quit smoking.

The study, led by researchers at University College London and King’s College London, involved 2,770 children and just under 4,000 adults.

In the interpretation section of the study paper, the authors state that “Standardised packaging and limiting flavour descriptors reduced youth appeal but had minimal effect on adults’ interest or harm perception.”  While this is broadly true, it is also slightly misleading, as it ignores the effect on two important groups of adults; those that vape, and those that smoke. For the purposes of this research, these are surely the most important adults to be considered in policy recommendations.

The comparison between adult and youth participants would be fair if they were both asked the same question. However young participants were asked “Which of the following products would people your age be most interested in trying?”, while adults were asked “Which of the following products would you be most interested in trying?“. Of the young participants, over 28% were honest enough to declare that they just didn’t know which vape products would interest their peers. This seems a reasonable answer given that the majority of youths have never vaped, and only a small minority currently vape.

The  researchers have failed to add to their interpretation their findings that “adults who currently smoked had significantly greater odds of reporting that they would not be interested in trying vaping products in standardised packaging with usual flavour descriptors” and “adults who currently vaped had significantly greater odds of reporting that they would not be interested in trying vaping products with standardised packaging with usual flavour descriptors”.

So, in effect, plain packaging had little effect on adults’ interest in vapes unless they currently vape or smoke. The majority of smokers incorrectly believe vapes are as harmful as, or more harmful than smoking already. Surely the last thing smokers need is yet another disincentive to switching completely to vaping.

The other finding of note in the authors’ report is that while they have measured changes in overall youth appeal, they have not been able to draw significant conclusions about 11–17-year-olds that currently vape or smoke, because the sample sizes are too small (175 and 160 participants respectively).

The media reporting on the study by PA Media does not include any of the context of where plain packaging might sit among all of the other legislative and regulatory proposals which will likely have a greater and more immediate effect on youth uptake.

The single use vapes ban, which came into force in June 2025 removed the products that were cited as most commonly used by young people from the market. An excise duty is coming into force in October of next year, which will more than double the cost of some of the products relied on by adult smokers. Increased penalties for retailers who illegally sell to children are already on their way as part of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, and these will include closure orders for repeat offenders. A new licensing scheme also makes up part of the Bill, with the intent that the retailers currently ill-equipped to sell age restricted products might be curtailed.

That is not to say that the independent vape industry is against the notion of measures that address product packaging. On the contrary, the IBVTA is calling for emotional flavour names and cartoon style imagery to be addressed as part of our Code of Conduct. Launched in 2023, it limits products to flavour names which accurately reflect the profile of the flavour, and not abstract concepts that might disproportionately appeal to children. It also calls for an end to products that feature prominent images of cartoon characters, or fictional characters from entertainment primarily aimed at youth on either the product or packaging.

The media reporting on the study is accompanied by calls for the Government to expedite the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, currently going through Parliament.