UP to three million vapers could switch back to cigarettes if ministers restrict certain flavours, the industry has warned.
Customer research by VPZ — the UK’s largest retailer of the electronic puffers — said 93.1 per cent of former smokers credited the e-cigs with kicking the habit.
Some 55 per cent of all surveyed said they used sweet and fruity flavours to help them give up fags.
New government anti-smoking laws will give ministers powers to ban certain flavours that directly appeal to children.
While the specific fluids at risk are yet to be confirmed, they will likely include ones like candy floss and bubblegum.
But VPZ boss Grieg Fowler warned a side-effect could be driving ex-smokers back to cigarettes or into buying black market vapes.
He said: “Flavours are not just a preference, but a lifeline for people who look to quit smoking.
“We are extremely concerned about the future of those 3 million UK vapers and ex-smokers who have relied on flavoured vaping products to make the life-saving switch from smoking to vaping.
“Limiting their options will not only take away a proven harm-reduction tool but also risk sending them back to the far more dangerous habits of smoking cigarettes or using illicit products.”
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