London (UK), 9 February 2024 – The Consumer Choice Center (CCC) is worried about tobacco harm reduction methods being impeded on by the latest proposal of the Scottish Conservative Party to ban vaping in enclosed public spaces.

In a statement, Mr Mike Salem, the UK Country Associate for CCC expressed concern about the proposal. He stated: “Adding hurdles to vaping will only serve to revert those who are trying to quit smoking right back into it.”

Salem further criticised the statement made by Dr Sandesh Gulhane, the shadow health secretary of the Scottish Conservatives when the latter expressed concern regarding the lack of “solid evidence about the health effects [of vaping].” Salem’s response is: “the evidence is pretty clear and statistically significant on the matter; vaping is far less harmful than smoking, and to limit its usage will reduce health prospects of smokers who are trying to quit. If Dr Gulhane has any doubts about that he should check NHS Scotland’s website”. 

The CCC is surprised that such a misinformed claim about vaping is being made by a potential future Scottish health secretary. Public Health England shows that e-cigarettes are 95% less harmful than tobacco. As such, the CCC champions vaping as an effective method for reducing tobacco harm and calls on the Scottish Conservative Party to reconsider its position on the matter.