Vaping remains society’s “most potent weapon” in its fight against smoking – and we shouldn’t be trying to regulate them out of existence, a leading expert on public health has said.

In a bid to discourage people from using them, the World Health Organisation has urged Governments to ban flavoured vapes and treat them more like tobacco. 

Some controls have already been introduced; last month, the Government banned the sale of e-cigarettes to those under the age of 18.

Britain's NHS has recommended people who are trying to stop smoking use vapes as an alternative way to inhale nicotine. 

On Newstalk Breakfast, the former director of the UK’s Action on Smoking and Health Clive Barnes said in the rush to regulate, it is important to “keep our eye on the main prize” - which is reducing the number of people who use tobacco.

“We still have 6,000 people a year dying in Ireland from smoking, eight million a year worldwide,” he said. 

“[It’s] more than road accidents, alcohol, illicit drugs [and] obesity combined… We have in vapes probably the most potent weapon we’ve ever had as a way of dealing with smoking. 

“What we mustn't do is allow ourselves to be distracted by that."

Single use disposable vapes lying discarded on the road. Credit: Richard Newton / Alamy Stock Photo

Over a third of young Irish teenagers say they vape and have never smoked before and Mr Barnes said “nobody” wants to see young people using e-cigarettes. 

Despite this, he said many proposals to make the habit less attractive do more harm than good. 

“The problem with banning flavoured vapes is you make them more unattractive, relative to cigarettes, and that has three consequences,” he said. 

“First of all, you’ll get more smoking - we’ve got good economic data on that. 

“Secondly, you’ll build up an illicit trade and a black market run by criminals who’ll sell to anyone; we’ve seen the most restrictive places for vaping regulation have the biggest black markets. 

“Thirdly, you’ll end up with vapers trying workarounds - like mixing their own liquids in the kitchen sink… and that causes more harm.” 

A teenager vaping on the street. Image: Steven Gill / Alamy

He said most young people use vapes on an “infrequent, informal, frivolous” basis and heavy users would likely be smoking cigarettes instead anyway. 

“It’s likely to be a fad, it’s likely to blow through and not cause much in the way of lasting damage,” he said. 

“Some of them will be using these vapes more intensively and may even become dependent on them but we know from the evidence that those are the kids who would otherwise be smoking. 

“For them, the fact that they’re doing something much less risky than smoking is beneficial.” 

The HSE describes vaping as something that “may be less harmful” than smoking but the long-term health implications are still unknown. 

Free to support and advice for those looking to quit is available.

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Main image: People smoking using vape pens. Picture by: Mark Waugh / Alamy Stock Photo