Ban e-cigerette use in public spaces, BMA says

The British Medical Association (BMA) has called for the government to issue a ban the use of e-cigarettes in public places because of the potential risks involved in passive vaping.

The group warned that allowing people to vape in public normalises the habit and could encourage children to take it up. However, public health officials have argued that the move could deter smokers from switching to e-cigarettes.

Dr Iain Kennedy, a consultant in public health, said: “It is a myth that there is no such thing as passive vaping. There are new potential risks, and we don’t yet know the level of those risks. It is a precautionary principle – until we do the studies and have a better idea of what the risks may or may not be, we should restrict their use in public places.

Kennedy maintained that while the e-cigarettes were safer than cigarettes, they were not 100 per cent safe.

He said: “E-cigarettes are probably going to be a very useful tool for helping people quit but we don’t want vaping to be seen as a cool activity to take up if they haven’t been smoking,

However, Rosanna O’Connor, director of drugs, alcohol and tobacco at Public Health England, argued: “Vaping is not the same as smoking, secondhand smoke is harmful to health but there is no evidence that e-cigarette vapour carries the same harms. In fact a ban on using e-cigarettes in public places could be damaging, as it may put off smokers from using e-cigarettes to help them quit.”