Elfbar warns flavour bans could push over 50,000 Scottish vapers back to smoking

Key Takeaways

• Elfbar says flavour restrictions could disrupt quitting behaviours and raise relapse risk under the Tobacco and Vapes Bill
• Opinium: fruit/sweet flavours’ popularity among Scottish adult vapers quitting smoking rose 82%; “most often” use is 62% vs 34% in Dec 2024
• 63% of Scottish vapers use fruit/sweet flavours at least weekly; 63% say flavour variety helps reduce smoking or prevents returning to tobacco
• Elfbar cites ASH 2025: 14% would return to smoking if flavours were limited; based on 5.5m UK adult vapers this is 770,000, implying 50,000+ in Scotland by proportion
• Post June 1 single-use ban: 90% of daily vapers use reusables; 22% admit knowingly buying illegal vapes; 45% mistakenly think vaping is as harmful as or more harmful than smoking

2Firsts, Feb 27, 2026 – 

According to SLR Magazine, Elfbar said fruit and sweet flavours are increasingly critical in helping Scottish smokers and ex-smokers transition, and warned that restricting flavour choices—described as a potential outcome of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill—could disrupt established quitting behaviours and increase the likelihood of relapse among former smokers.

The report said new research cited by Elfbar shows fruit and other sweet flavours have seen an 82% increase in popularity in Scotland among adult vapers quitting smoking, with 62% now using these flavours most often to quit smoking, up from 34% in December 2024.

The research, carried out by Opinium, found that 63% of Scottish vapers surveyed use fruit and sweet flavours at least once a week and that 63% believe access to a range of flavours helps them reduce smoking or stops them from going back to tobacco products.

Elfbar pointed to a 2025 Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) survey suggesting 14% of vapers would return to smoking if flavours were limited to tobacco, mint and menthol. Based on ASH’s estimate of 5.5 million UK adult vapers, the report said this equates to 770,000 adults, which by proportion “could mean” more than 50,000 Scottish adults.

The report also cited ASH Scotland stating 14% of Scottish adults smoke, with two-thirds wanting to quit. Elfbar’s research said vaping remains the leading quit aid in Scotland, with 44% of smokers or recent quitters using vapes to help them stop smoking, compared with patches (23%) and nicotine gum (17%).

When asked whether reusable vapes helped them reduce or stop smoking, 53% of Scottish respondents said they helped a lot and 17% said they helped a little, the report said.

Following the single-use vape ban on June 1, the report said 90% of current daily vapers are using reusable vapes. Among reusable vape users, 84% are purchasing separate refills, 11% intend to and 6% buy a new kit each time.

However, the report said illicit products remain a major concern. It said 22% of current vapers in Scotland admit to knowingly purchasing illegal vapes, and 20% of all those surveyed are aware of illegal vapes being sold locally within the past three months.

On confidence in product legality by outlet type (1–10 scale, 10 = completely confident), the report said chain vape stores averaged 8 and supermarkets averaged 7, compared with 4 for non-traditional retailers of age-restricted products such as barbers and phone shops.

The survey also found 45% of Scottish adults mistakenly believe vaping is as harmful as, or more harmful than, smoking. The report said these findings mirror ASH’s July 2025 report noting a sharp increase in public misperceptions, particularly among smokers, which deters those who could gain the most from switching to a less harmful alternative.

Elfbar UK director of government affairs Eve Peters said flavours play an increasingly critical role in helping adult smokers quit and urged an evidence-based approach to flavours in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill. She said that while most vapers have transitioned to reusable devices after the single-use ban, a minority are using illegal single-use vapes or have “seemingly relapsed” to tobacco, underscoring the need to assess regulatory impacts before further legislation. Peters said Elfbar supports an enhanced retail registration system in Scotland accompanied by a national anti-illicit trade strategy.

The report said the research was based on a survey of 6,000 UK adults aged 18 and over, including 500 Scotland-based adults. It added this was part of an ongoing series, with Opinium surveying 40,000 UK adults since 2023, producing up to four reports per year.

Image source: SLR Magazine