New Study on Vape Ban in Massachusetts Leads to Increased Cigarette Sales

A new study between the years of 2018-2019 is showing new evidence that a full ban on electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), aka e-cigarettes/vapes, has increased sales in cigarettes. That means those who wanted to quit cigarettes and use vapes as a cessation switched back to the much deadlier habit.

The study

The study focused on 3 states in 2019 that included Massachusetts, Washington, and Rhode Island implemented state-wide emergency bans on ENDS products following the EVALI outbreak.

The media, despite not having full information on the cause, had linked EVALI to e-cigarettes and vapes, but the study states “it was eventually determined in February 2020 that EVALI cases were strongly linked to vitamin E acetate additive in primarily illicit tetrahydrocannabinol-containing vaping products.”

THC centered pens.

From the emergency bans provided researches, with 2 full years worth of data, the opportunity to evaluate whether fully banning vapes and e-cigs had unintended effects on cigarette sales.

There is a growing amount of cigarette users that switch over to vapes as an  alternative to quit smoking. We’ve talked about this in a previous blog here. However, because of the EVALI outbreak, many bans were made to “prevent” widespread of the disease. The following Figure 1 shows cigarette pack sales per capita among, treatment, halted, and control states.

Figure. 1

As you can see the study is showing the bans from the several states, if we focus on MA we can see that the ban started, specifically, on September 24, 2019. If we look at the next chart.

Figure. 2

Figure 2 shows the ENDS ban in the grayed. Black lines represent the cigarette sales after the ban was placed, whereas the blue dotted line would have be sales if the ban wasn’t placed. In Massachusetts actual cigarette sales rose.

The Verdict

The study concludes that “using state-level commercial data, we found that banning ENDS likely increases cigarette sales in states that have a full ban and for those that only ban non-tobacco flavored ENDS.”

Despite what policymakers intend to do with state-wide bans unintended consequences have surfaced, and a thorough analysis on what policies like these should be considered.

In a previous post about Prop 31 in California being passed, what does this mean for many who will face the possibility of reusing cigarettes? The ban was to stop children from accessing the use of nicotine. Unfortunately, now, there’s been a higher risk that young adults may become addicted to cigarettes that contain much more harmful substances and chemicals than just nicotine. 

Will this actually lead to lesser cigarette sales? Or will policies like these continue to help Big Tobacco? Tell us your thoughts on this new study and your opinions on the comments below.