A top executive at British American Tobacco is pushing for more vape advertisements in the U.K. amid legislative efforts to ban them.
Asli Ertonguc, managing director of BAT's U.K. and Irish operations, argued in favor of "strict" vape ads, according to the BBC. She said the advertisements would be targeted toward adults to help them quit smoking.
"Smokers are changing fast, and so are we," she told the outlet.
The U.K. Department of Health and Social Care said it "rejects any notion that further marketing of vapes is necessary," as reported by the BBC.
The U.K. Parliament is currently considering the Tobacco and Vapes Bill. It aims to create a "smoke-free generation" by gradually ending the sale of tobacco products.
While vaping can help smokers ease off cigarettes, the U.K. government strongly advises that people steer clear if they don't smoke or vape already. The full health effects of vaping are currently unknown, but it has been linked to respiratory diseases. One study even found that it could be a gateway to smoking for young people.
Single-use vapes are also becoming an increasingly concerning source of pollution. Most are made of plastic, which means they will take hundreds of years to decompose.
In the meantime, the material breaks down into harmful microplastics, which are bad for our health, water, and soil. Curbing vaping helps limit the amount of plastic usage that contributes to this issue.
When improperly disposed of, the lithium batteries in vapes can cause fires. If the discarded vape lights up in a landfill, it can create toxic fumes and damage equipment. Heavy metals from the batteries can also leach out into soil and water, posing further health risks.
The U.K. continues to make strides to hold vape retailers responsible for pollution. Single-use vapes were banned on June 1 in an effort to curb this problem. However, some critics feel that more needs to be done to close loopholes that render the ban ineffective.
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Yes 👍 BAT boss Ertonguc acknowledged the harmful effects of disposable vape products in her interview with the BBC. BAT has shifted its focus toward rechargeable vape systems.
"We can say the existence of disposables made the [vaping] category lose some credibility," Ertonguc said.
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