Fruit and mint flavours remain the most popular vape categories sold since July’s disposable vape ban, according to new figures.
The data from online retailer Haypp reinforces industry warnings that flavour choice is central to supporting smokers who switch to reduced risk products.
Fruit leads sales, but post-ban flavour mix shifts
Haypp’s data shows fruit flavours accounted for 30.4 per cent of vape sales since the ban, followed by fruit/mint fusion (24.2 per cent) and mint (20.7 per cent).
Before the ban, fruit flavours were even more dominant – a change Haypp attributes largely to shifts in the products available on the market rather than any major change in consumer preferences.
Simple fruit flavours remain the most popular among vapers aged 18 to 54, while older users aged 55 and over prefer mint.
Markus Lindblad, Haypp’s head of external affairs, said that while fruit flavours remain the top choice overall, “older vapers who are former smokers may associate the flavour with menthol cigarettes, or mint may be a more familiar flavour for this age group.”
He added that preferences appear to be evolving, with more consumers “showing a preference for more complex and fusion-style flavours.”
Flavours ‘key to quitting’ as government considers new restrictions
Lindblad said the figures underline the importance of flavour variety in helping adult smokers switch successfully to safer alternatives. The government is currently considering flavour restrictions under the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.
He argued that limiting flavours would backfire, “more likely to drive an illicit market and reduce the number of adult smokers who switch to vapes.”
“Academic research indicates that for adult smokers, flavours are an important reason they begin using vapes to quit cigarettes, and importantly, they are part of the reason they stay off cigarettes long term,” he said.
Lindblad pointed to “real-world evidence” from abroad. “A study using a dataset involving 376,963 young adults in the U.S. investigated how policies restricting the sale of flavoured vapes in the U.S. affected smoking rates and cigarette smoking.
“The intention of the flavour bans was to reduce vaping, which it did, but it also saw an increase in rates of cigarette smoking.”
Vaping now more common than smoking in UK
The latest ONS figures released this month show that vaping has overtaken smoking for the first time. An estimated 5.4 million adults now vape, compared with 4.9 million who smoke. Smoking prevalence has fallen from 19 per cent to 9.1 per cent in a decade, with switching to vapes identified as a major driver of the decline.
“The high number of adult smokers switching to vapes has been an important factor in this reduction,” Lindblad said.
Industry urges clearer communication on relative risk
Lindblad said restrictions on marketing communications for vape producers need to be reassessed. He warned that progress on smoking reduction is at risk because many smokers now wrongly believe vaping is as harmful or more harmful than smoking.
“Worryingly, recent data suggests that the rate of smokers making the switch to vapes has stalled. One of the reasons for this is that the majority of people in Britain who smoke now think that vaping is equally or more harmful. This misperception is now having a negative public health impact. It has arisen because of consistent misinformation about vapes in the media.”
“The government needs to find a mechanism to enable manufacturers and retailers to communicate evidence-based information about the relative harm of alternative nicotine products or risk losing the progress that has been on smoking reduction over the past decade,” he said.
Government announces QR-tag crackdown on illegal vapes
Alongside the flavour debate, the government has announced new measures to tackle the booming trade in illegal vapes. Rogue traders could face £10,000 fines and potential prison sentences. All vapes will be required to carry a digital stamp – including a QR code – to verify authenticity.
The rules will become compulsory next autumn, with a six-month sell-through period for existing stock. The government said the move would “disrupt criminal networks behind black market vapes, protecting the public from dangerous, unregulated products.”
Anti-smoking charities and trading standards leaders welcomed the measures, arguing they will help tackle illicit sales while keeping regulated products available for adult smokers trying to quit.
