Tag: United Kingdom

UKVIA Warns Against Consequences of Vape Taxes

Photo: VPZ
The U.K. Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) has warned that the Conservative Party’s proposal to tax vapes based on nicotine strength, predicted to increase the cost of some products upward of 300 percent, threatens to undo the work that the category has already done in saving millions of smokers’ lives.
In its submission to the government’s vaping duty consultation, the association argues that by making higher strength vaping more expensive, the proposed tax regime will place an unfair financial burden on nicotine-dependent smokers who are trying to quit. The UKVIA points to the fact that smokers are already significantly overestimating the risks of vaping compared to smoking and that a measure that discourages the use of sufficient nicotine to facilitate a quit attempt is likely to have the effect of decreasing the rate of successful quit attempts.
The association also argues in its submission that as smokers are disproportionally from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, the effect of introducing an excise duty for nicotine-containing vapes, the most appealing form of e-cigarette for smokers, will be dramatic and potentially fatal.
This conclusion is supported by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) Research Report Number 740, Understanding the Vaping Market, which found that less affluent adults were “more likely than average” to report being current vapers and revealed that 32 percent of current vapers are motivated to use these products over cigarettes due to cost savings. The same HMRC report also highlighted that the doubling of the prices of vaping could result in 62 percent of current users reducing how much they vape.
The UKVIA is calling for the proposed taxation of vapes to be based on e-liquid quantity and not based on nicotine strength. It believes a specific sales tax on all vaping products and nicotine levels at the rate of £1 ($1.25) per 10 mL would be far more effective in achieving the duty’s stated objectives.
Smokers who smoke more or are more nicotine reliant need higher concentrations of nicotine, at least initially, according to the UKVIA. The association feels they should not be deterred from quitting by having to pay an extra premium to buy the higher concentration nicotine e-liquids that they need.

While a tax on vapes may be inevitable, it does need to be effective and not counterproductive.
John Dunne, director general, UKVIA
“While a tax on vapes may be inevitable, it does need to be effective and not counterproductive,” said UKVIA Director General John Dunne in a statement. “In recent years, millions of smokers have managed to quit through using vaping products, and discouraging others from making the switch would have disastrous, and in many cases fatal, consequences.
“The industry therefore urges the government not to unfairly discriminate against nicotine-containing vapes, which are the most popular devices for a reason. It would be far more valuable for the government to instigate a vape licensing scheme, for which we have long been calling; such a scheme would deter rogue retailers, protect our children and help a heavily under-funded Trading Standards to police retailers by raising £50 million a year from the industry.”
May 30, 2024
U.K. Pauses Tobacco Ban Talks Until After Election

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Britain’s proposed generational tobacco ban will not become law before the July 4 election announced by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak this week, reports Reuters.
The U.K. Tobacco and Vapes Bill aims to phase out the sale of cigarettes. It would make it illegal to sell tobacco products to anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 2009, after they turn 18. It would also provide powers to address vaping among young people.
The bill had passed its first parliamentary hurdle in April despite dozens of lawmakers in Sunak’s Conservative party voting against it.
However, the government failed to put forward the tobacco and vapes bill as part of the legislation to be passed in the “wash-up” period before parliament dissolves.
Unless ministers resuscitate the bill at the last minute with an emergency statement today, it will be up to the next government to re-introduce the smoking ban in a fresh bill. The Labour party is committed to the policy and could include it in its manifesto. “Our position hasn’t changed so if it doesn’t come through, then we will look at putting it in the manifesto and introducing a bill,” a Labour representative told The Guardian.
The U.K. Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) welcomed the news that the bill would not be rushed through the legislative process. Earlier, the group had complained that the Department of Health and Social Care had failed to carry out any risk assessments into the health impacts of fewer people using vapes to quit smoking as a result of potential changes to flavor offerings, point of sale displays or packaging and product presentation.
“It is wrong to rush any legislation through parliament without proper scrutiny but with a bill like this, where lives are quite literally at stake, it is even more important that the correct checks and balances are in place when considering what new powers to introduce,” said UKVIA Director General John Dunne in a statement.
“We believe that properly drafted new measures to ban child-friendly designs and flavor names and ensure that products, backed up by a powerful and effective enforcement regime will continue to see smoking rates fall while ensuring that youth uptake rapidly comes down.”
Anti-smoking activists took the news in stride. “While the tobacco and vapes bill appears to be a victim of a snap election, all is not lost,” said Deborah Arnott, chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health. “This bill has the strong support of the chief medical officers of all four nations in the U.K. as well as the overwhelming majority of the public.”
May 24, 2024
Scientist Urges Caution With AI Vaping Studies
Marina Murphy is a scientific communications and engagement expert with more than 20 years of experience.
Scientists should be aware of the “illusions of understanding” when relying on artificial intelligence for their research, warned Marina Murphy, industry veteran and scientific adviser to the U.K. Vaping Industry Association.
A recent study, published in Scientific Reports, claims to have uncovered potentially harmful substances that are produced when e-liquids in vaping devices are heated for inhalation.
The research team at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, used artificial intelligence to simulate the effects of heating e-liquid flavor chemicals found in nicotine vapes.
The analysis revealed the formation of many hazardous chemicals, including 127 that are classified as “acute toxic,” 153 as “health hazards” and 225 as “irritants.” Notably, these included a group of chemicals called volatile carbonyls (VCs), which are known to pose health risks. Sources for VCs were predicted to be the most popular fruit-flavored, candy-flavored and dessert-flavored products.
Lead author Donal O’Shea, professor of chemistry and head of the department, said the findings are concerning. “Our findings indicate a significantly different profile of chemical hazards compared to what we are familiar with from traditional tobacco smoking. It is plausible that we are on the cusp of a new wave of chronic diseases that will emerge 15 [years] to 20 years from now due to these exposures.”
Murphy countered that the effects of overheating e-liquids have been studied extensively. “This can lead to the production of carbonyls, for example, but these compounds make the vapor so caustic as to be un-inhalable,” she wrote in response to the RCSI study. “Newer e-cigarette devices are designed with built-in temperature control systems.”
She warned that “scary headlines” could prompt smokers thinking of switching to less harmful e-cigarettes to stick with conventional cigarettes instead.
“Vaping has proven to be the most popular quit aid, and we need to focus less on problems and more on solutions to ensure that vapers continue to get the flavors they need to successfully quit cigarettes in the safest way possible,” said Murphy.
May 9, 2024
U.K. Misleading Public on Relative Risk: Gilchrist

Mora Gilchrist (Photo: PMI)
Philip Morris International has accused the U.K. Department of Health of spreading misinformation about heated-tobacco products after a social media post warning that “all forms of tobacco are harmful,” reports The Grocer.
A tweet posted by the department in a thread of “myths” about vaping and tobacco contained false and misleading statements and risks driving consumers back to cigarettes or dissuading current smokers from making the switch to alternatives, according to the multinational.
“What hope do adult smokers have when seeking out accurate information on smoke-free products if it’s the government that’s spreading misinformation?” said PMI Chief Communications Officer Moira Gilchrist.
“All forms of tobacco are harmful, and there is no evidence that heated-tobacco products are effective for helping people to quit smoking,” the tweet stated.
“Laboratory studies show clear evidence of toxicity from heated-tobacco products. Unlike vapes, there is no evidence they are effective for helping people to quit smoking,” the post continues, citing a 2017 report by the Committee on Toxicity.
According to Gilchrist, such statements “distort the scientific evidence base” and “seriously misleads the public.”
While acknowledging that heated tobaccos are not risk-free, Gilchrist said it is misleading to imply that all forms of tobacco are equally harmful.
A Public Health England report in 2018 said that available evidence suggested that heated-tobacco products “may be considerably less harmful than tobacco cigarettes” but “more harmful than e-cigarettes.”
The Grocer
April 25, 2024
Britain’s Generation Nicotine Ban Passes First Vote

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Lawmakers approved British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s plan to ban anyone aged 15 and under from ever buying cigarettes despite opposition from some prominent members of his Conservative party, reports Reuters.
The bill passed a vote in Britain’s parliament with 383 in favor and 67 against.
Fifty-seven Conservatives, including Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch, voted against the plan. Earlier, two former prime ministers, Liz Truss and Boris Johnson, had come out against the legislation, with Truss describing the draft legislation as “unconservative” and Johnson calling it “nuts.”
The ban enjoys strong support among healthcare professionals, who say that smoking causes 80,000 premature deaths every year, along with many more smoking-related illnesses.
In a recent YouGov poll, a third of voters supported the phased approach and 30 percent supported a ban for everyone at the same time. Only a quarter said there should be no ban.
Badenoch said that while she agreed with Sunak’s intentions, she opposed the bill as she was concerned about its impact on people’s rights and difficulty in enforcing the policy.
Earlier this year, New Zealand scrapped a similar law after a new coalition government took power in late 2023. The government said it favored a harm-reduction approach to discourage smoking, but critics accused it of succumbing to tobacco lobbying.
Britain’s generational tobacco ban will now progress to the next stage in parliament, where it can be subject to amendment.
April 16, 2024
U.K. Poised to Announce Strict Vaping Levies

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U.K. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is expected to announce a “vaping products levy” during the presentation of the government budget on March 6, reports The Guardian.
The tax would be similar to 15 schemes in European countries, including Germany, where a €1.60 ($1.73) tax is charged on every 10 mL of vape liquid, and Italy where the rate is €1.30. The EU is also planning a vaping levy across the 27-nation bloc.
The U.K. tax would charge higher rates for products with more nicotine. There would also be a one-off increase in tobacco duty to ensure that vaping remains a cheaper alternative, with the two measures expected to raise more than £500 million ($633.73 million) a year by 2028–2029, according to The Times.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak plans to ban smoking for the next generation by steadily increasing the legal smoking age in England so that tobacco would end up never being sold to anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 2009.
Vaping industry representatives described the tax plan as an attack on people trying to quit smoking.
“Vaping is proven to be the most effective way for smokers to quit and in doing so helps drastically reduce the cost of care the NHS [National Health Service] provides to smokers,” said John Dunne, director general of the U.K. Vaping Industry Association, in a statement.
“It makes absolutely no sense to make it more difficult for adults to stop smoking by penalizing those who choose a safer and healthier option in vaping. Smoking kills 250 people every day in the U.K. and according to Action on Smoking and Health costs the U.K. £17 billion a year,” Dunne added.
“A Centre for Economics and Business Research report in 2022 found that smokers switching to vaping saved the NHS £322 million, a figure that was estimated to more than double if 50 percent of U.K. smokers made the switch to vapes.
“Surely, we should be doing everything we can to help smokers escape a habit that kills so many. Increasing taxes on vaping will make vapes less accessible for the most disadvantaged in society who have the highest smoking rates and are most in need of an effective tool to quit.
“The government continue to hide their heads in the sand while taking actions that will fuel a black market which is already in danger of being out of control. Restricting access to vapes will not only mean more smokers; it will also mean more illegal and unregulated vapes. We need the government to license vape retailers and properly enforce the law against youth access before it is too late.”

It makes absolutely no sense to make it more difficult for adults to stop smoking by penalizing those who choose a safer and healthier option in vaping.
John Dunne, director general, UKVIA
“A Centre for Economics and Business Research report in 2022 found that smokers switching to vaping saved the NHS £322 million, a figure that was estimated to more than double if 50 percent of U.K. smokers made the switch to vapes.”
“Surely, we should be doing everything we can to help smokers escape a habit that kills so many. Increasing taxes on vaping will make vapes less accessible for the most disadvantaged in society who have the highest smoking rates and are most in need of an effective tool to quit.
“The government continue to hide their heads in the sand, while taking actions that will fuel a black market which is already in danger of being out of control. Restricting access to vapes will not only mean more smokers; it will also mean more illegal and unregulated vapes. We need the government to license vape retailers and properly enforce the law against youth access before it is too late.”
February 27, 2024
U.K. Vape Industry Proposes New Licensing Scheme

Photo: VPZ
The vaping industry was poised to present a proposal for a retailer and distributor licensing scheme to U.K. lawmakers today.
In addition to a self-sustaining fee structure, the proposed scheme includes governance and oversight mechanisms along with criteria that businesses would need to meet before qualifying for a license. It also outlines a fine and penalty system for those who breach the terms of the license and the conditions under which a license can and should be revoked.
To qualify for a license, retailers will need to show they have put measures in place to prevent the sale of vapes to minors; do not sell nicotine-free vapes to minors; only stock and sell compliant products; operate legally across all areas of the business; promote products within the advertising regulations; and meet their environmental obligations.
Vape retailers and distributors may be blocked from obtaining a license under a number of circumstances, including if they’ve previously been caught selling vapes without the appropriate certifications or if they are attempting to reapply within two years of having their license revoked.
Under the plans, retail licensees would also have to undergo test purchasing exercises at least every six months to ensure they are following youth access prevention procedures as well as having their stock inspected to ensure the products they sell are registered on the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency-notified products list.
They would also be checked on a regular basis to ensure they are complying with advertising and environmental regulations. Licensed distributors would be subject to regular inspections to ensure they are meeting compliance requirements across the board.
“It doesn’t matter what legislation the government introduces, whether the newly announced ban on disposables or any future restrictions, a robust and balanced licensing system is critical to ensuring the law can actually be enforced and for ushering in a new era of responsibility, accountability and best practice,” said Dan Marchant, co-founder of the U.K. Vaping Industry Association and managing director of Vape Club, which led the development of the proposed scheme, in a statement.
The presentation of the plan comes just days after a new investigation revealed a near twentyfold increase in the number of illicit vapes seized by councils across the U.K. since 2020.
February 21, 2024
Contemplating the Fallout of a UK Disposable Ban

Photo: bennyrobo
What will the U.K.’s ban on disposable vapes mean for the next-generation nicotine industry?
By Paul Hardman
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak recently announced that the U.K. government would ban disposable vapes as part of its plan to tackle the rise in youth vaping. The new measures come as the government responds to a recent consultation on smoking and vaping, which, it says, indicated “overwhelming support” for a ban on disposables. What does this decision mean for the next-generation nicotine industry? And what may come next?
As well as banning disposable vapes, the U.K. government will implement new powers to restrict vape flavors, introduce plain packaging and change how vapes are displayed. As part of the measures, the government is introducing new fines for shops in England and Wales that sell vapes illegally to children, with Trading Standards officers able to hand out fines on the spot on top of the up to £2,500 ($3,155.58) fines that local authorities can already issue.
The government may use powers already established under the Environmental Protection Act to enforce the ban, which is expected to come into force at the end of 2024 or early 2025.
Tackling Youth Access
Back in 2019, the U.K. government launched its Smoke-Free 2030 ambition, which seeks to reduce tobacco smoking prevalence to below 5 percent by the end of the decade. Alternative methods of accessing nicotine, including vapes, are critical to achieving this smoke-free vision. However, the government’s position on vaping has come under increased scrutiny, partly because of a recorded growth in youth uptake.
According to an ASH survey, titled “Use of e-cigarettes (vapes) among young people in Britain,” in March/April 2023, the proportion of children experimenting with vaping had grown by 50 percent year-on-year, from one in 13 to one in nine. In 2023, 20.5 percent of children had tried vaping, up from 15.8 percent in 2022 and 13.9 percent in 2020. Popular flavors among respondents included fruit (60 percent) followed by sweet or soft drinks (25 percent).
The government reports that disposable vapes have been “a driving force behind the alarming rise in youth vaping, with the proportion of 11[-year-old] to 17-year-old vapers using disposables increasing almost ninefold in the last two years.” Some may feel that this trend has been driven by their convenience—they can be purchased, used immediately and discarded. It could also be due to their affordable prices, bright colors and flavor appeal. However, this convenience is important for offering smokers a safer, accessible alternative to combustible cigarettes. Therefore, a balance must be struck.
On the other hand, pod-based systems are generally less convenient as these often require charging before use. Typically, pod-based systems carry a higher price tag for the whole system than a disposable product, and investment into a certain type of system is therefore required. Once the device has been selected, the user is tied to a particular range of pods. A consumer opting for the more expensive tank-type e-cigarette will need to navigate changing coils and different e-liquid types and strengths, making these more complex than using a disposable vape.
In our experience, disposable products also tend to contain the highest allowed concentration of nicotine, 20 mg per milliliter, in the form of nicotine salts, which have been shown to be absorbed more rapidly than nicotine freebase and may result in greater nicotine dependence than products with slower uptake.
The report also references the environmental impact, mentioning that 5 million disposables are discarded each week, the equivalent to the lithium batteries of 5,000 electric vehicles. These are stark figures and put the environmental impact into context.
The Impact of the Measures
Though the measures are specifically designed to tackle youth vaping, there will naturally be an impact on the industry as a whole. We may see surging youth popularity for modern oral nicotine pouches, new product categories emerging or a trend toward heated tobacco. It is important that these products do not follow the same path as disposable vapes in terms of youth appeal so that their access can be retained for adult smokers wishing to quit combustible cigarettes. This means robust regulation, regulatory enforcement and responsible behavior from manufacturers and retailers.
Manufacturers of disposable vapes will now be looking for ways to engineer their products so that they can remain on the market. The technology used in disposable vapes is not necessarily disposable; the batteries are capable of many charge cycles, and it would not be difficult to engineer replaceable tanks. It may be that disposables manufacturers switch to reusable systems, such as pod-type vapes, and keep the look and taste as similar as possible to current products. The “new powers to restrict vape flavors” may be important in ensuring these amended devices are not as appealing to children.
The government will need to set out a legal definition of disposable vapes and clarify how the ban and restrictions will be implemented. For instance, at this stage, it is unknown whether there will be any additional requirements regarding the notification process and whether manufacturers must submit additional product information to remain compliant with the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016 (TRPR).
Unless more detail is provided in the legislation, loopholes could appear that manufacturers and retailers might seek to exploit. For example, it is illegal to sell vapes to under-18-year-olds in the U.K., but retailers could still give out disposables to children as free samples. Following recommendations by the Khan review, in April 2023, the government announced that it would be closing this loophole.
There are concerns among U.K. ministers that some manufacturers may adapt their disposable vapes to circumvent the ban. According to The Guardian, ministers are “eliminating ruses such as attaching charging points to them [disposable vapes].” Interestingly, when asked about manufacturers adding USB charging points to unrefillable vapes to avoid the ban, Health Secretary Victoria Atkins commented: “That’s incredibly cynical [to ask], and it shows, if you like, the battle that the government is prepared to take on.”
There are also concerns that on-the-spot fines will not be sufficiently high to prevent unscrupulous retailers from selling to under-18-year-olds. After all, it is currently illegal to sell any e-cigarette to youth, but the problem prevails. With £30 million announced to fund HM Revenue and Customs, Border Force and Trading Standards, it will be interesting to see if the amount is sufficient to tackle the issue of illegally imported and sold products.
It will also be interesting to see if any further measures are introduced for products popular with young people, perhaps to target reusable vapes that are specifically designed to look like something else a child might have on their person, such as a highlighter pen or mascara.
Nicotine Pouches as “Vaping Alternatives”
The government mentions that “Vaping alternatives—such as nicotine pouches—will also be outlawed for children who are increasingly turning to these highly addictive substitutes.” While introducing an age restriction is a sensible move, we will have to wait to see what additional regulations will follow for nicotine pouches. For example, whether there will be a cap on nicotine strength and a sensible approach to flavors/graphics and advertising—the sorts of restrictions that ought to be in place for all consumer nicotine products may help reduce youth appeal.
It is important that nicotine pouches do not fall into the same traps as disposable vapes did. These products can be considered one of the lowest risk consumer nicotine products available, and their access must be maintained to aid adult smokers working to quit or reduce smoking.
Where Manufacturers Can Go from Here
In a letter to the Prime Minister, the U.K. Vaping Industry Association expressed its “profound dismay and disappointment” with the decision to proceed with a disposable vape ban. According to the letter, “This decision jeopardizes the significant progress made in reducing smoking rates in the U.K. and poses a threat to the well-being of millions of adults who have successfully quit smoking with the help of vaping.”
However, it’s possible that a disposable ban could leave a gap in the market for tobacco harm reduction products that are not youth-appealing but appeal to smokers and are sufficiently effective in their nicotine delivery and taste to substitute traditional combustible cigarettes. Of course, all new consumer products will need to comply with the TRPR as well as the new measures that ban disposables, standardize packaging and restrict flavors.
The Medicinal Pathway
As the consumer nicotine market faces greater restrictions, we may see a growing number of manufacturers working to get their vapes approved as medicinal products in the U.K. As part of the U.K. government’s vision for a smoke-free future, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is actively looking to approve e-cigarettes as nicotine-replacement therapies. If licensed as a medicinal product, e-cigarettes do not need to comply with the TRPR limits, such as the 20 mg per milliliter limit on nicotine concentration. The medicinal product route also makes products exempt from the new measures simply because they are not consumer nicotine products. However, the various requirements around marketing and advertising of medicines would apply instead.
By following the Marketing Authorization Application (MAA) approval pathway, manufacturers can bring flavored, higher concentration nicotine e-cigarettes to U.K. smokers but with a more controlled marketing infrastructure that limits youth access. For instance, products that receive a marketing order under a General Sales license are subject to the same sales restrictions as over-the-counter pharmaceutical products like paracetamol, preventing minors from buying them.
The medicinal product route gives smokers wishing to quit the confidence that the product has been developed, manufactured and tested to strict medicinal standards. With the ability to use higher concentrations of nicotine, there is the potential to make a product more effective in terms of nicotine delivery compared to consumer products.
Early in an MAA application, manufacturers can partner with a scientific and regulatory compliance partner to support them through the process, from product design to regulatory approval, to improve their chances of success.
Summary
Backed by “overwhelming support,” the new ban on disposables is not without reason but not an approach Broughton advocates. As observed with other products and also reflected by the vaping industry in the U.S., prohibition is rarely effective and could set a dangerous precedent for the entire category. We agree with the sentiment of the new measures with regard to youth access but believe more detail is needed to prevent exploitation and to reassure manufacturers on how they can remain compliant with the TRPR and other relevant standards. Meanwhile, a blanket ban on disposables could spur innovation and the development of new medicinal products but only if manufacturers can access the right support.
Broughton is modifying its compliance framework as new regulations develop to ensure that its nicotine consulting service complies with the latest guidance. To find out how this framework can support you, visit the Broughton website, www.broughton-group.com.
Paul Hardman is a managing consultant at Broughton, an independent life sciences contract research organization offering analytical testing services integrated with scientific consultancy and global regulatory support.

February 12, 2024
Sunak Asked to Reconsider UK Disposables Ban

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The U.K. Vaping Industry Association sent a letter to U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to “express profound dismay and disappointment” that the government decided to proceed with a disposable vape ban.
“This decision jeopardizes the significant progress made in reducing smoking rates in the U.K. and poses a threat to the well-being of millions of adults who have successfully quit smoking with the help of vaping,” the letter reads.
“We urge the government to reconsider the ban on disposable vapes and adopt a more balanced approach that prioritizes effective enforcement over draconian bans,” the letter says. “A distributor and retailer licensing scheme, as proposed to government repeatedly by the UKVIA, would achieve such an outcome without any cost to the taxpayer.”
January 30, 2024
New United Kingdom Vape Rules to Ban Disposables

Photo: Mikhail Reshetnikov
The U.K. will ban disposable e-cigarettes, the government announced today.
According to the government, disposable vapes have been a key driver behind the rise in youth vaping, with the proportion of 11 to 17-year-old vapers using disposables increasing almost ninefold in the last two years.   
As part of the package, the government will also acquire new powers to regulate vape flavors, e-cigarette packaging and product presentation in stores to ensure that they don’t appeal to underage users. Additionally, the government will bring in new fines for shops in England and Wales that sell vapes illegally to children. Vaping alternatives, such as nicotine pouches, will also be outlawed for underage consumers.
In its announcement of the new measures, the government also reiterated its commitment to a generational tobacco ban. To help implement the new rules, government agencies such as the Border Force, Revenue and Customs and Trading Standers will receive £30 million ($38.1 million) in new funding a year.
 “As prime minister I have an obligation to do what I think is the right thing for our country in the long term. That is why I am taking bold action to ban disposable vapes—which have driven the rise in youth vaping—and bring forward new powers to restrict vape flavors, introduce plain packaging and change how vapes are displayed in shops,” said ,” said Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
“Alongside our commitment to stop children who turn 15 this year or younger from ever legally being sold cigarettes, these changes will leave a lasting legacy by protecting our children’s health for the long term.”

While action to prevent youth access to vaping is critical, this move smacks more of a desperate attempt by the government to sacrifice vapers for votes ahead of the upcoming general election.
John Dunne, director-general, UKVIA
Public health officials welcomed the government’s decision. “We’re delighted that the Westminster government has heard our calls and is rightly prioritizing the health and well-being of our children and the planet,” said Mike McKean, vice president for policy at the Royal College of Pediatrics and Child Health. “Bold action was always needed to curb youth vaping and banning disposables is a meaningful step in the right direction. I’m also extremely pleased to see further much needed restrictions on flavors, packaging and marketing of vapes.”
Representatives of the vape industry, by contrast, were dismayed, pointing to significant role disposable vapes have played in bringing the U.K.’s smoking rates down to a record low.
“While action to prevent youth access to vaping is critical, this move smacks more of a desperate attempt by the government to sacrifice vapers for votes ahead of the upcoming general election,” said John Dunne, director general of the U.K. Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA), in a statement.
“If the government thinks banning disposables will help protect young people, they are completely misguided. This counterproductive legislation will sooner put children at greater risk by turbo-charging the black market and, in turn, making it easier for them to access illicit and noncompliant vapes.”
Pointing to recent research from University College London, the UKVIA said the answer to youth vaping doesn’t lie in counterproductive bans and restrictions, but rather in effective and proactive enforcement of the law which states that it is illegal for vapes to be sold to minors.

We can’t have a two-tier society in which some adults are permitted to buy tobacco and others are denied the same opportunity.
Simon Clark, director, Forest
The government’s continued commitment to a generational tobacco ban, meanwhile, prompted a strong response from smokers’ rights activists, who said the plan infantilizes adults.
A new poll for the smokers’ lobby group Forest found that almost two thirds (64 percent) of adults in Britain say that when people are 18 and legally an adult, they should be allowed to purchase cigarettes and other tobacco products.
“As soon as you are legally an adult you should be treated like one and allowed to buy tobacco, if that’s your choice,” said Simon Clark, director of Forest.
“We can’t have a two-tier society in which some adults are permitted to buy tobacco and others are denied the same opportunity.”
Urging Downing Street to step back from the policy, he added: “Law-abiding retailers will have the difficult job of enforcing this absurd policy that also drives a stake into the heart of traditional Conservative values such as freedom of choice and personal responsibility.”

January 29, 2024