The Oral Health Foundation welcomes a new consultation from the Government on new legislation surrounding the use of tobacco and vaping products.

figure 1

©smartboy10/DigitalVision Vectors/Getty Images Plus

The consultation will gather public views on legislation for selling vaping and other tobacco products, warning notices, and proxy sales. It will also address youth vaping by regulating flavours, packaging, affordability, and enforcement of laws.

The most recent independent review of the evidence commissioned to inform the government's policies and regulations published in 2022, concluded that vaping poses only a small fraction of the risk of smoking on overall and oral health.

The review also highlighted that vaping is certainly not risk-free and advised against people who have never smoked from taking up vaping.

The Oral Health Foundation calls for more long-term research to be carried out to establish the potential long-term, ill-effects of vaping to overall health, especially to oral health. Including a possible link to an increase in dry mouth, dental decay and gum disease in those who have never smoked.

Dr Nigel Carter, Chief Executive of the Oral Health Foundation said: 'There are over 70 years of evidence proving the harms of smoking, while vaping has only been around for 16 years since 2007. Therefore, we cannot yet be precise about the long-term risks of vaping.

'We support Cancer Research UK's recommendations to the UK Government on e-cigarettes and vaping.'

The Oral Health Foundation also agrees that there is no need for childish branding and there should be action to remove bright colours, sweet names, and cartoon characters.

Dr Carter added: 'We should prohibit the promotion and display of e-cigarettes in shops and put vapes out of sight and out of reach of children. There should be an introduction of funding for heavy weight anti-smoking public health campaigns which promote vaping to adult smokers as a quitting aid. By motivating these adults to quit smoking like this, it could potentially save many lives.'