The new Labour government will propose a bill to gradually raise the legal age for purchasing cigarettes and impose restrictions on the sales and promotion of vaping products, as confirmed by the UK’s King Charles III in a speech.
Under the proposed Tobacco and Vapes bill, children born on or after Jan. 1, 2009 will never be able to legally be sold cigarettes.
The bill will also stop vapes and other consumer nicotine products from being deliberately branded and advertised to appeal to children.
The Tobacco and Vapes bill was proposed under the previous Conservative government and was voted through the House of Commons in April, according to media reports.
It has also passed the Committee stage but must still pass a third reading in the House of Commons, three readings in the House of Lords, amendments, and Royal Assent before becoming legislation.
Inter Scientific, an independent global analytical testing and regulatory compliance firm, announced its membership in the UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA), the largest trade body representing the UK vaping industry.
The commitment underscores Inter Scientific’s focus on promoting high safety, quality, and compliance standards within the vaping industry, according to a press release.
Inter Scientific and UKVIA are committed to fostering a robust and responsible vaping industry. By collaborating, Inter Scientific aims to support UKVIA’s initiatives, leveraging its extensive expertise in regulatory affairs to help shape a sustainable future for vaping in the UK, according to the release.
David Lawson, CEO of Inter Scientific, stated, “We are thrilled to join UKVIA as a full board member and contribute to the advancement of the vaping industry in the UK. At Inter Scientific, we believe in the potential benefits to [the] public that the vape industry holds.
“Our collaboration with UKVIA will enable us to work closely with industry leaders to ensure the highest standards of safety, quality, and compliance are met, to benefit consumers and public health.”
Inter Scientific plans to actively participate in UKVIA’s working groups and committees, contributing knowledge and experience to address key industry challenges. The collaboration will focus on areas such as regulatory compliance, product safety standards, and public education.
“By working collaboratively, Inter Scientific and UKVIA aim to enhance the credibility and trustworthiness of the vaping industry, ensuring that consumers have access to safe and reliable products,” the release states.
The Isle of Man has banned the sale of vaping products to anyone aged 18 and under.
The new rules, which bring the island into line with laws introduced in the UK in 2016, also makes it illegal for a person over the age of 18 to buy a minor any vaping product.
Further measures that will ban the public display or advertising of vaping products in any place on the island where under-18s are admitted will apply from September, according to media reports.
Cabinet Office Minister Kate Lord-Brennan said the measures were “an important move for the current and future health of young people.”
Vape Club, a U.K.-based online vape retailer, reports that the U.K.’s freight terminals, airports, and seaports are now the unexpected frontline in the battle against the surge in illegal vaping products, with enough seizures for three to be sold every minute.
The report states that major London airports, Manchester and the Port of Dover, are being used as supply routes to “further the U.K.’s illegal vaping epidemic.” The data suggests that these regions saw the highest number of illegal vaping devices seized in 2023, accounting for 42 percent of the U.K.’s total.
In 2023, over one and a half million illegal vapes were seized in the U.K., according to the 2024 Illegal Vaping Report. Kent, home to the Port of Dover, was the local authority with the highest number of illegal vapes seized in 2023 at over a quarter of a million.
Heathrow Airport’s local authority, Hillingdon, seized almost a quarter of a million illegal vapes last year, and Manchester Airport saw 158,434 illegal vapes seized. “The findings raise concerns about the potentially dangerous illegal vapes entering the U.K. at its borders,” the report states.
John Dunne, director general of the U.K. Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA), traveled to China to educate vape companies on Britain’s changing regulatory landscape.
The U.K. will ban disposable e-cigarettes from April next year, and the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which is currently working its way through Parliament, seeks to give ministers unprecedented powers to ban flavors and decide how vapes are packaged and sold.
Speaking at the headquarters of the Electronic Cigarette Industry Committee of the China Electronics Chamber of Commerce (ECCC), Dunne shared his expert knowledge to conduct on-site compliance training to some of the world’s leading vape companies, including Elf Bar, SKE, ELUX, HQD, Hangsen, Greensound, Aspire, ICCPP, RELX, ALD, Uwell and Zinwi.
Describing the U.K. regulatory landscape as “complex and changeable,” Dunne said issues such as the protection of minors, battery recycling and environmental protection were high on the agenda of politicians, regulators and the general public.
“It is absolutely vital that all companies operating in the U.K. are fully compliant with all local laws and work at all times to show the industry in the best possible light,” he said in a statement.
Dunne said the UKVIA would continue to work with the ECCC to help members comply with current requirements, prepare for future regulatory change and to foster global cooperation to promote the development and prosperity of the global vaping industry.
E-cigarettes represent a valuable aid in smoking cessation, but more can and should be done to reduce their appeal, availability and affordability to nonsmokers, and reduce environmental harms, according to a new report by the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) in the United Kingdom.
The results are summarized in over 50 recommendations, which explore trends in combustible tobacco use and vaping products, the differences in health effects of vaping in people who smoke, vape or do neither, ethical dilemmas presented by e-cigarette, environmental damage, and the role of the tobacco industry in the rising use of e-cigarettes.
The RCP report concludes that:
since the 2016 RCP report the evidence of the effectiveness of e-cigarettes as an aid to quitting has become much stronger
use of e-cigarettes by young people and nonsmokers has increased substantially in recent years
prompt remedial measures are needed to curb youth vaping without undermining use by adult smokers as an aid to quitting
the government should commission a series of regular evidence updates on the use and effects of nicotine products to guide policy.
Regarding the effectiveness of e-cigarettes as a cessation tool, researchers emphasize e-cigarettes should be promoted as an effective means of helping smokers to quit smoking tobacco, particularly focusing on those population groups that could benefit the most, such as patients with mental disorders or those who experience socioeconomic disadvantage and people living in social housing.
Regarding potential health side effects resulting from vaping product use, researchers carried out a review of biomarkers of exposure to and harm from e-cigarettes using data published between 2021 and 2023 comparing people who vape, people who smoke, people who do both (dual use), and people who do neither.
Although lower levels of harmful substances were found in vapers compared to smokers for many of the biomarkers analyzed, researchers conclude agreement needs to be reached on the methods for vaping health risks research, including which biomarkers are the most relevant to study regarding the relative and absolute risks of vaping, to draw accurate conclusions. Studies with larger samples are needed both on vapers with a history of smoking and on vapers who have never smoked.
The RCP report insists on finding a balance between preventing these categories from accessing vaping while not demonizing such products in the eyes of those who use them to quit smoking.
Regarding youth addiction specifically, RCP researchers concluded that standardized plain packaging combined with reduced flavor and brand descriptions together with retail display bans should be introduced to decrease youth interest in trying vaping.
E-cigarette price and taxation strategies should reduce the affordability of the cheapest products most commonly used by youth vapers (i.e. disposable e-cigarettes), while ensuring that the products most likely to be used by adults who smoke/quitters (i.e. rechargeable and refillable products), which are also less damaging to the environment, remain affordable.
The report also proposed to increase prices through the introduction of a consumption tax and a minimum unit price, prohibiting multiple purchases but ensuring that they remain a less expensive option for adults who use them to quit smoking, and limiting promotional materials in retail stores and product visibility, and restricting promotion on social media.
The authors of the report also urge regulators to prevent cigarette manufacturers from playing a role in the development of national policies.
The U.K. has been held up as providing the “gold standard” in proportionate vape regulation.
By John Dunne
It is astonishing how much ground the vaping industry has covered since Vapor Voice launched in 2014. Back then, the nascent vape industry offered a tantalizing alternative for smokers looking to quit smoking. Cig-a-like devices were the order of the day, but they often leaked, had a limited range of flavors and were rather underpowered. The main thing is that they were not cigarettes and provided a smoking alternative that really worked. It was unclear how e-cigarettes would evolve, but while many dismissed this as a passing fad, budding vaping entrepreneurs were already working on business plans.
What was clear from the beginning was that a passionate fanbase of devotees emerged, and they spread the word about this new smoking alternative far and wide with evangelical passion. The relatively unsatisfying flavors from these earliest devices turned out to be a massive boon for the fledgling industry as fans made their own e-liquid with readily available ingredients, resulting in an explosion of new flavors being tested on friends and family members.
These humble beginnings led to the industry that exists today. Many international brands started with someone experimenting with different flavor combinations created in their kitchens or garden sheds, only to discover that they had stumbled upon a product with enormous commercial potential. Technological advances led to more powerful batteries, larger tanks and more efficient heating systems, which excited the growing army of fans.
The Vaper Expo U.K.—now one of Europe’s most essential vape events—came to the U.K. in May 2015 and saw thousands of vape fans queueing for hours to be among the first into the arena. The interest in vaping was astonishing, and things began to move very quickly. Former smokers morphed into passionate advocates for this new technology. Expos featured spinoff cloud-chasing contests and performances from talented individuals who found they could make a living by producing intricate patterns from exhaled vapor clouds.
Specialist vape shops sprung up to meet the demand of former smokers and hobbyist vapers while flavor names from these early days were often exotic and fantastical. Names like “Beach Bum,” “Eye of the Tiger,” “Flaming Hot Tamale,” “Dragon’s Crown,” “Vamp Toes” and “German Chocolate Beefcake” dominated.
E-liquid came in glass bottles of various colors with pipette droppers, and branding often featured the most complex and colorful designs, which would not have looked out of place in a modern art graduate’s portfolio. Many early adopters abandoned their careers to invest their life savings in producing their own e-liquids. As vaping became more popular and moved from niche to mainstream, politicians took notice, and regulation changed everything.
The European Union updated its 2001 Tobacco Products Directive to include e-cigarettes in 2014 and, after a two-year grace period, the U.K. began enforcing regulations covering product safety, vapor emissions testing and new limits on tank and bottle sizes and nicotine strength. This saw the demise of many hobbyist e-liquid creators who had supplemented their incomes with home-grown e-liquids they sold locally or online, but it also paved the way for the serious players to grow and flourish.
The U.K. Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) was formed in 2016 to “support, develop and promote” the vape industry and promote the public health benefits of this reduced-risk alternative to smoking. It was immediately clear that there was a lot of opposition to overcome.
Just like we have seen in the U.S., the mainstream media in the U.K. found it could generate huge numbers of clicks and views by stirring up a new moral panic around vaping. Scare stories misrepresented already dubious scientific research, and baseless articles linking vaping with cancer, lung disease and heart disease flourished. The press demonized a product that was allowing smokers to quit and quietly ignored the enormous death toll caused by cigarettes.
I have never been in more demand from national TV, radio and newspapers to speak about vaping. Media interviews can range from productive to utterly frustrating. Some presenters want me on their shows just to shout at me, and others have their minds made up and refuse to listen to reason, but some want a balanced discussion about vaping and its role in harm reduction.
Emotive subjects, such as environmental concerns and youth access, are staple interview topics, and I am happy to get up at the crack of dawn for the first segment of the morning TV breakfast show or appear live in the studio for a late-night current affairs debate to promote the benefits of the vaping industry.
The U.K. has been held up as providing the “gold standard” in proportionate vape regulation for the rest of the world to follow. Although not perfect, our regulations have generally offered the right level of public protection while allowing the industry to flourish by offering adult smokers a far less harmful alternative to cigarettes.
In recent years, that has started to change, with the U.K. poised to ban disposable devices next year on the grounds of environmental and youth access concerns. These concerns are important, but there are better ways to tackle youth vaping. For four years, we have been calling for the government to introduce a vape retail licensing scheme, similar to the way alcohol is licensed, with fines of up to £10,000 ($12,453) per instance for those who sell illegal products or sell to anyone underage. This scheme would fund a national enforcement campaign backed by regular inspections and test purchasing to ensure retailers comply with the law or face losing their license and their ability to trade.
Vape Club, one of our UKVIA members, has already drafted the framework for such a scheme, yet the government insists it has no plans to introduce such a system. Back in 2016, I could hardly have imagined a future where the vape industry would be proposing more robust and more effective legislation to a government that seems unable or unwilling to do so, yet that is exactly how things turned out.
We currently have proposed legislation making its way through Parliament that would give the government unprecedented new powers to restrict flavors, point-of-sale displays and packaging. The government accepts that bringing in new restrictions could cause current vapers to resume smoking but, astonishingly, has not conducted a risk assessment to determine the health harms this may bring.
The evolution of the vape industry in the past decade has brought many challenges and has been far from smooth. The industry started with disposable devices, moved to refillable tank systems, witnessed a recent renaissance in disposables and is moving back to refillable tank systems once again. E-liquid flavors, absolutely vital to help adult smokers quit, will continue to evolve to meet changing consumer demand, but I can’t see a return to the days of “Flaming Hot Tamale,” “Dragon’s Crown” and “Vamp Toes” flavors—and that is not a bad thing.
We have achieved so much in a decade, and I am convinced we can eventually win over a skeptical media. Until that happens, I will patiently explain why vaping does not cause popcorn lung and how nicotine does not cause cancer.
I am also heartened to see just how far the vaping industry has come in one decade, and I am intrigued to see what incredible advances will occur between now and 2034.
John Dunne is the director general of the U.K. Vaping Industry Association.
The bill, a key policy announced by Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak last year, will make it illegal to sell tobacco products to anyone born after 2009, according to media reports.
The proposal has the support of the opposition Labour Party and is expected to pass. However, some libertarian-minded members of Sunak’s party criticized the proposals as “unconservative.”
Authorities say that if passed, the bill will create modern Britain’s “first smoke-free generation”.
Supporting the ban, England’s chief medical officer, Professor Sir Chris Whitty, said once people become addicted to smoking, “their choice is taken away.”
Under the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, children turning 15 this year or younger will never be legally sold tobacco. The legal age of sale that people in England can buy cigarettes will be raised by one year, every year, until it is eventually illegal for the whole population.
The bill also includes measures to crack down on youth vaping, such as banning the sale of disposable vapes and limiting their flavors to prevent children from becoming addicted to nicotine.
Opponents, such as Conservative lawmaker Simon Clarke, have said it is better to focus on education and the tax system to deter young people from smoking rather than enforcing an outright ban.
“I think that an outright ban risks being counterproductive; I think it actually risks making smoking cooler; it certainly risks creating a black market,” he told the BBC.
That didn’t take very long. The global vaping company Plxsur reached its goal of reaching $1 billion in consolidated revenues from its partners in just two years. The company has now successfully partnered with 12 of the world’s leading vaping companies to form what may be the largest and fastest-growing group of independent vaping companies in the world. According to Nigel Hardy, CEO and founder of Plxsur, the company accomplished this with a focus on compliance, governance and reporting, with responsibility at its core.
“We believe having a portfolio of multiple brands is crucial for building a successful reduced-risk product (RRP) business at scale. Our retail sales across the group reflect the impact of Plxsur, which supports adult smokers who have switched to vaping,” explains Hardy. “We have sold products to about 4 million consumers, with retail sales by value of units sold at $1.835 billion. Additionally, our three North Star owned brands, Salt, Allo, and Flavour Beast, are expected to generate retail sales of more than $400 million in 2024.”
Plxsur also has 10 e-liquid manufacturing facilities in six different markets. With that comes the quality management systems to ensure the quality of the raw materials that are coming in and what’s going out. It’s not only about quality control (QC), but also about quality assurance. All e-liquids are manufactured in a minimum ISO 9001-certified facility. Plxsur’s QC program ensures that all products manufactured and distributed meet or exceed all regulatory and legislative requirements in the markets where the products are produced.
ISO 9001 is an international standard specifying quality management system requirements. Organizations use it to demonstrate their ability to consistently provide products and services that meet customer and regulatory requirements. Plxsur only produces its brands of e-liquids. The company does not do third-party manufacturing because the company’s focus is on its products.
Plxsur leadership says its partners have a combined market share representing an estimated 10 percent of the global $19.34 billion vaping market. Hardy said the company is targeting a 20 percent market share in the next five years. The companies include Hale Vaping (Ireland), UEG Holland (Netherlands), DampShop (Belgium), Pro Vape (Latvia), Puff Store (Italy), Nobacco (Greece), Ritchy Group (Czech Republic), Vape Empire (Malaysia), Pacific Smoke (Canada) and CK Complex (Poland).
“The past two years have seen a huge amount of financial and operational progress for Plxsur, and we have grown to become the world’s largest and fastest-growing group of independent vaping companies with consolidated revenues of over $1 billion,” said Hardy.
In 2021, Plxsur was founded by David Newns, Charlie Yates, and Nigel Hardy. The three entrepreneurs shared a vision for the vaping industry and discussed how they could work together to achieve their goals. They believed the key to success was respecting and supporting entrepreneurship while empowering local management teams. They planned to create a global network of independent vaping companies that were both the largest and the most responsible in the industry.
Plxsur, under Hardy’s leadership, believes in improving the businesses it brings on board by focusing on three key aspects of business strategy: governance, compliance, and reporting. Compliance involves adhering to various rules and regulations in the countries and communities where Plxsur businesses operate. This includes regulatory, communication, and marketing compliance, as well as legal compliance related to finance and jurisdiction.
“We’re at a very important and exciting stage in our journey. The companies in that group are not only the best at what they do in their respective markets, but importantly, they share our values.
“They put the consumers first, think big, and take responsibility seriously. All our companies want to make a real difference in the lives of adult smokers by contributing to a smokeless society. We now have a presence in Europe, Asia, and North America, covering the full vaping value chain from manufacturing, wholesale, distribution, and direct-to-consumer, both online and through our global network of over 800 specialist vaping stores.”
In 2023, group revenues increased 40 percent on the previous year to more than $1 billion, with an adjusted EBITDA of over $200 million. The outlook for the global vaping market is strong, and last year, Plxsur commissioned an independent research report that Hardy said is the “most comprehensive consumer study conducted on vaping to date”, using data from an online panel of over 30,000 consumers in six of Plxsur’s markets.
“The opportunity available for RRP across our 12 markets is significant, and I am pleased that our Global Vaping Market Snapshot vindicates the belief that not only will this sector continue to grow at pace, but that vaping is quickly becoming the most popular form of RRP in the market, with adult smokers who switch to vaping likely to remain loyal by navigating the regulatory framework,” he explained. “Our team has established a center of excellence leading a program of capability development to ensure management teams at a local level of the skills to deliver sustained value growth.”
Plxsur and its partners continue raising the bar as a responsible vaping group. All its companies have now committed to the six Plxsur standards (product compliance, manufacturing safety, responsible marketing, youth access, child protection and third-party product compliance) that address the biggest issues the vaping industry faces today. The company has also supported local teams across the group and guided companies in engaging with governments on policy development, particularly around preventing youth access.
“We’re focused on migrating consumers from disposable vapes to rechargeable pod and open systems. This is a key priority for Plxsur and our companies are already delivering huge results. In Q3 of 2023, I’m delighted that our Italian business, Puff, successfully migrated many of their consumers to pod and open devices through its launch as an exclusive distributor of new-to-market pods and e-liquids,” said Hardy. “To keep the momentum going, our portfolio companies have exciting plans to expand their range of pod systems in the first half of this year.”
Unlike traditional business acquisitions, Hardy explained that the company’s partners are not selected based on their financial worth. Plxsur is highly selective in its choice of partners, and financial size is not the only factor determining whether a company is suitable to join the Plxsur team. Hardy cited the example of Pro Vape, a company headquartered in Riga, Latvia, which started its business in late 2016 and met all the necessary criteria to become a Plxsur partner.
“The Baltic market is not particularly a huge market for vaping. What Pro Vape has is a significant presence in Europe,” said Hardy. “Only 40 percent of their business is domestic, and 60 percent is across the rest of Europe.”
Plxsur has specific criteria that businesses must meet before partnering with them. Firstly, the company must be a leader in its channel, whether it is business-to-business or business-to-consumer, or a leading player in its market. Currently, all of Plxsur’s partners meet this benchmark. Secondly, having a healthy balance of company-owned brands within the portfolio is essential, with Plxsur aiming for at least 50 percent of its revenues to be driven by such brands. Thirdly, the most crucial criterion is people.
“Our ability to retain our unique entrepreneurial spirit while growing at a rapid pace has been pivotal to our success over the past two years,” said Hardy. “We remain committed to achieving long-term value for all stakeholders, with responsibility at the core of everything we do. Supported by several tailwinds, including evolving market dynamics and customer preferences, we remain confident in Plxsur’s medium-term prospects and our ability to continue our trajectory to promote responsibility in the sector, achieve our target of over $15 billion in revenues by 2033.”
To achieve the lofty goal, Hardy said Plxsur is well placed to capitalize on the growing trend of vaping across the globe, unlock future value, and play a leading role in shaping the sector’s future on a platform of responsibility. He said Plxsur excels at creating a distinctive, innovative business leadership environment while growing at a pace pivotal to the company’s success over the past two years.
“We continue to see increasing regulation around vaping, particularly disposables, flavors, and marketing,” said Hardy. “At Plxsur, we see regulation as a force for good and encourage appropriate regulation and enforcement to tackle illicit and irresponsible trading behaviors. Last year, we submitted Plxsur’s response to the UK government’s open consultation on creating a smoke-free generation, and we continue to engage with regulators worldwide.
“This engagement with responsibility at the core of everything we do places Plxsur in a prime position to continue to grow, lead the industry, and shape the future of vaping.”
The UK government is set to introduce a bill in parliament aimed at phasing out smoking among young people by prohibiting nicotine sales for future generations.
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill, if passed unamended, will be one of the world’s toughest anti-tobacco laws and prevent children turning 15 this year or younger from ever being able to be legally sold nicotine products.
The government said smoking itself would not be criminalized. Therefore, anyone who can legally buy tobacco now will not be prevented from doing so in the future, according to Reuters.
“If we want to build a better future for our children, we need to tackle the single biggest entirely preventable cause of ill-health, disability, and death: smoking,” Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said in a statement.
Critics say the move is “unconservative,” and former prime minister Liz Truss is one of several members of the governing party who have said they will vote against the legislation.
Despite the opposition, the legislation is expected to pass with the opposition Labour Party suggesting it would support the measure.
Last month, a similar law introduced by New Zealand banning tobacco sales to those born after Jan. 1, 2009 was repealed by the country’s new coalition government.
