The most dangerous and addictive vape flavours revealed

The most dangerous and addictive vape flavours revealed,

‘Marketing vapes at children is utterly unacceptable – and this act takes powers to restrict it.’

That’s how the chief medical officer for England, Professor Sir Chris Whitty, unveiled the long-awaited Tobacco and Vapes Act in April. Legislation designed to not only save future generations from the dangers of tobacco smoking, but also protect them against the potential harms of e-cigarette use.

The Act allows the Government to restrict the flavours used in vapes which are known to entice non-smoking youngsters to try nicotine – the addictive ingredient that got billions of smokers hooked on cigarettes over the years.

The biggest vapers are aged 16 to 24, with 13 per cent of them using e-cigarettes daily – twice the all-ages average, according to a survey by the Office for National Statistics in 2024.

What’s more, flavoured vapes are the most popular. One study in the journal Addictive Behaviors in 2019 found 63 per cent of users preferred non-tobacco flavours such as fruit, mint and candy.

So action to clamp down on the marketing of flavoured vapes to children (for example, shops often place them near the sweet counter to attract more attention) has been universally welcomed by the medical profession.

But now some experts fear that a legislative loophole could mean the measures get pushed down the list of priorities – or even get overturned altogether.

That’s because the powers granted to the Health Secretary to ban flavoured vapes do not come under primary legislation (which would mean they come into immediate effect), but secondary legislation – which means the Government will only enact it once it has consulted with ‘interested parties’.

Concerns about the risks of vape flavourings spiked recently, with new research showing vaping alters genes and therefore increases our risk of serious diseases (picture posed by model)

This consultation process could take months – even years – to complete. And those ‘interested parties’ include the vaping industry, which is already pushing back against the measures (more on this later).

Vaping works by heating liquid in a small device to create an aerosol that’s inhaled. The liquid can contain nicotine and myriad chemicals that create flavours.

Concerns about the risks of flavourings spiked recently, with new research showing vaping alters genes and therefore increases our risk of serious diseases.

The study, in the journal Frontiers in Oncology, compared gene activity in 83 people, including vapers, smokers and non-users. It found those who vaped had ‘altered expression’ in 3,124 genes, compared with people who neither smoked or vaped. This means genes are not functioning as they should, or are being activated and deactivated when they shouldn’t be.

These genetic changes were shown to heighten the risk of diabetes, cancer and heart and lung diseases, with fruit flavours associated with the greatest changes in gene activity.

Ahmad Besaratinia, a professor of research population and public health sciences at the University of Southern California, who led the study, said: ‘Each flavour contains different chemicals that can produce distinct biological effects. This is something regulators need to consider carefully when assessing the safety of e-cigarettes.’

Other studies have flagged more health concerns regarding flavourings used in vapes.

For example, a 2025 report on rats warned fruity flavours, such as cherry and green apple, as well as vanilla and menthol, make our brains more prone to nicotine addiction by boosting dopamine – which gives us a feeling of reward and makes us want to repeat the experience, reported the Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics.

In short, some flavours make vapers more likely to get hooked on nicotine and cigarettes – rather than wean them off (even though the NHS says vaping is one of the most effective ways to quit cigarettes).

Likewise, a 2021 study in the journal Tobacco Control warned combining fruit flavours with ‘ice’ flavours in vapes seems to boost dependency even further.

Ice flavours combine fruit with a cooling agent, such as menthol, to mimic the sensation of having an ice-cold drink.

The survey of more than 3,300 students found those using ice flavours were more likely to report symptoms of vaping dependence (such as high levels of daily use) than those who used standard sweet or fruity vapes.

Lead researcher Adam Leventhal, an associate professor of health behaviour at the University of Southern California, says the ice and fruit combination makes vaping especially appealing to young people.

‘The cooling sensations mask the harshness of inhaling nicotine in the lungs and the sweet sensations counteract nicotine’s bitterness,’ he says.

‘For young people who have never previously smoked cigarettes, this is especially true.

‘And flavours not only make the vaping experience more appealing, they also allow the user to inhale more deeply and absorb more nicotine. This increases the likelihood that young people who try vapes will continue using them and develop an addiction.’

So rather than being a tool for helping adult smokers to quit cigarettes, flavoured vapes can encourage young people to start vaping, become addicted to the habit – and then even start smoking cigarettes.

Just as concerning is the growing body of evidence that shows sweet vaping flavours specifically can harm vulnerable young lungs.

A 2024 animal study at McGill University in Canada found some berry-flavoured vapes can damage the lungs’ ability to protect themselves from viruses, bacteria and cancer – by stopping front-line immune cells in the lungs (alveolar macrophages) from working properly. (Other flavours may have the same effect but have not been studied yet.)

Donal O’Shea, a professor of chemistry at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, warns toxic chemicals in flavoured vapes could cause a future ‘wave of chronic diseases’.

A survey of more than 3,300 students found those using ice flavours were more likely to report symptoms of vaping dependence (such as high levels of daily use) than those who used standard sweet or fruity vapes

In 2024, he led a team that used artificial intelligence to predict the health dangers. Results, published in Scientific Reports, showed 127 lung-damaging chemicals are potentially formed as vapes heat liquid for inhalation. A further 153 harmful chemicals classified as ‘health hazards’ and another 225 chemicals described as ‘irritants’ may also be present.

Sweet (sherbet, bubblegum, cola); buttery (cookie butter, butterscotch) and fruit flavours of vapes were the main sources of chemicals called volatile carbonyls such as formaldehyde (used in resins) which are known to damage cells and DNA.

Professor O’Shea told Good Health that flavourings can legally be sold for inhalation if they have been passed as safe for eating as food – even though the health effects may be different.

‘The cocktail of chemicals in vape flavour have good safety profiles for use in foods but they have not been tested for inhalation, especially after being heated to a high temperature,’ he says.

‘Heating causes these flavour chemicals to break down and make an array of other chemicals that carry health risks.’

He adds: ‘Nicotine is very addictive – causing both physical and psychological dependence. The flavours mask the negative effects of inhaling it, such as throat irritation.’

The perilous risks of vape flavours could be addressed in the UK, thanks to the new Tobacco and Vapes Act. And experience overseas suggests that banning child-luring flavourings can protect people’s health.

In the Netherlands, which banned all non-tobacco vape flavours in January 2023, vape use has since dropped by around half among adolescents and young adults – and their cigarette use has also dropped, according to a recent study by the Dutch Centre for Health Protection. And data from California shows a 37 per cent drop in sales of vapes after it too banned flavoured tobacco products in 2023, expanding to include ‘ice’ flavours in 2025.

However, because the section of the Act regarding the Health Secretary being able to ban vape flavours is only secondary legislation, some experts have expressed concerns over a potential delay in its implementation. The Government’s press release on the Tobacco and Vapes Bill quotes Dr Wendy Taylor, chairwoman of the Local Government Association’s health and wellbeing committee and a retired clinical oncologist, saying: ‘Reducing the appeal of vapes to children with tighter controls on flavours, packaging and promotion is an important step in addressing the concerning rise in youth vaping.’

But Dr Taylor has since told Good Health that she is worried ministers may never assume the power to ban vape flavours.

‘I’d like to see this secondary legislation brought in as soon as possible. But I’ve heard it may not come until 2028 – and there is concern it may not happen at all.

‘My worry is that in having all these flavours we are making vapes attractive to children who did not smoke. We only need vapes to be available to people who want to give up smoking.’

A spokesman for the Department of Health and Social Care told Good Health the Government is ‘committed to consulting on proposals’ on flavoured vapes before taking any steps.

But Professor O’Shea is adamant action must be taken soon.

‘It is vital that we learn from our past mistakes, where generations were misled about the safety of smoking. The need for stricter, comprehensive regulations on the ingredients in vapes is clear.’

Meanwhile, the UK is seeing pushback against vape-flavour regulation from the industry.

For example, in February, vape company Elfbar published research suggesting the Government risks pushing over three-quarters of a million UK vapers back to smoking if it implements such restrictions.

The survey of 6,000 people reported that 63 per cent of vape-using adults said they rely on fruit or other sweet flavours.

A spokesman for Elfbar said: ‘The findings reinforce vaping’s critical role in helping smokers quit and are a clear reminder to regulators to recognise the importance of flavours.’

Meanwhile, the Independent British Vape Trade Association told Good Health selling vapes to children is illegal and it was ‘concerned’ that they might be using them. But it added: ‘Flavours are a vital part of the success that vaping has had in getting millions of adults off smoking.

‘Evidence from the US has shown that where flavour bans have been introduced, it has the consequence of increasing smoking among young people.’