Public Health England (PHE) has published new framework advice for businesses and employers to help them create their own policies on the use of e-cigarettes. There are now 2.8 million e-cigarette users in the UK and there is a need for appropriate policies in public places and workplaces.
The advice is set out in a document entitled Use of e-cigarettes in public places and workplaces Advice to inform evidence-based policy and can be found here.
E-cigarette use, known as vaping, is not covered by smoke free legislation. E-cigarettes do not burn tobacco and do not create smoke. While debate continues about their absolute level of safety, the consensus across England’s public health community is that e-cigarettes are significantly safer for users than smoked tobacco. An independent review of the latest evidence published by Public Health England (PHE) in 2015 found that, based on the international peer-reviewed evidence, vaping is around 95% safer for users than smoking. It also confirmed the findings of PHE’s 2014 independent evidence review, iii that there is no evidence of harm to bystanders from exposure to e-cigarette vapour and the risks to their health are likely to be extremely low.
The idea behind new framework helps organisations create e-cigarette policies that will support smokers to quit and stay smoke free, while managing any risks specific to their setting.
Professor Kevin Fenton, National Director of health and wellbeing at PHE said:
The evidence is clear that vaping is much less harmful than smoking and that e-cigarettes are helping many smokers to quit. This new framework will encourage organisations to consider both the benefits and the risks when developing their own policies on e-cigarettes.
This guidance has been partly prompted by evidence that some organisations require employees to go to the same location as smokers and that defeats the objective of e-cigarettes.
Following extensive stakeholder engagement, PHE created this framework advice to give organisations 5 principles that will help guide the creation of a vaping policy that is right for them, covering the following considerations:
Make clear the distinction between vaping and smoking. Ensure policies are informed by the evidence on health risks to bystanders. Identify and manage risks of uptake by children and young people. Support smokers to stop smoking and stay smoke free. Support compliance with smoke free law and policies.