Most people know that smoking conventional cigarettes is bad for you. It’s a pretty common fact that even the packets themselves contain health warnings all over the front. Awkward. But here’s the thing. They were still, until now, always available to buy. People smoke regularly and it means that the industry continues to bloom here in the UK.
But that might all be set to come to an end now. New legislation which is coming into play means that you need to think about making a transition towards menthol e liquid vaping products, because the conventional cigarettes could well be about to be on the departures list.
Banning Immanent
The new effort is part of an initiative to try and cut down the figures of people who smoke at a young age. The 16 – 21 age group are some of the worst culprits for smoking, and by 21 usually have some pretty serious health conditions building up. Understandably, this is not something that we can tolerate, so measures have been out in place to try and figure it all out.
What we get is one of the last holdovers from our time in the EU, with the EU Tobacco Product Directive being the basis for this ban. It will see all menthol cigarettes be banned from May 2020.
Details of the Ban
The ban is cutting down on menthol products, and gives people the confidence that less young people will start to take up the habit to begin with. The new ban says that people will no longer be able to produce or purchase any product which has a filter or package containing the menthol flavouring, can not buy a filter or paper which has tobacco and nicotine in it, and also makes sure that there are no technical elements in place to allow people to change the flavour of any products which are allowed through the ban.
Aims and Intentions
Obviously, the new legislation aims to prevent people from smoking conventional cigarettes as much as possible. It is also clearly an attempt to cut down the amount of people who take up smoking from a young age. One of the largest percentages of smokers is the 16 to 21 age group, although it has been noted that people upwards to the age of 40 continue to smoke heavily.
Despite the fact that you must be over the age of 18 to purchase cigarettes in shops, people have found workarounds to the system, and there is a growing rise in the number of teenagers who smoke. The initiative aims to cut down a large quantity of that, by making it so that the appealing quality of the cigarettes, namely the menthol flavour in, is removed from the equation.
So, I’m Over 18 and Want to Smoke, What Do I Do?
The time to transition to menthol-based electronic cigarettes has never been more prominent. If you are of legal age and wish to smoke, It can understandably be quite frustrating that this initiative is being put into place, specifically when it begins to target those who are under the age of 18 and smoking illegally.
Electronic cigarettes are far safer, healthier, and better for you, and still provide the same satisfaction that comes from smoking with less of the harmful impact to you and the people around you. You will begin to notice that when it comes to these products, menthol is not the only flavour, as there are a wide variety of different options for you to consider.
As the electronic cigarette is widely considered to be a modern counterpart to conventional cigarettes, this ban will surely see an upgraded number of people swarm towards the electronic version. If you are looking to maintain a smoking habit, it could be a good idea to retain an electronic variant, simply because it provides the same satisfaction with the less of the health risks.
In conclusion, this ban will only serve to cut the number of underaged smokers, and to help younger people make smarter choices regarding their health. It is easy to pick up a habit like this when you are young and do not consider the long-term effects, which is why it can be important to have a healthier, safer alternative in place.
The ban is perhaps long overdue, with health organisations all across the country and even in Europe praising the move, and it will be interesting to see how the economy changes as a result of menthol cigarettes not being available, as this will effectively make some businesses obsolete in the UK. Electronic cigarettes are the far safer alternative, so it is wise to implement them as much as possible, and with such a wide variety of flavours to choose from, you can begin to understand why so many people are such strong advocates of the practice.
