Industry slams new government plans
RETAIL and vape industry chiefs have expressed concerns at Government plans to ban the sale of disposables and bring in other regulations across the UK.
A full package of new restrictions for the category was announced by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on 29 January, which all four UK governments look set to introduce.
Sunak said: “As any parent or teacher knows, one of the most worrying trends at the moment is the rise in vaping among children, and so we must act before it becomes endemic.”
The new regulations are likely to see a ban on the single-use devices coming into force in early 2025. Once the timing is confirmed, retailers will be given six months to implement it.
Further regulations will include restrictions on flavours, the need for manufacturers to produce plainer, less visually appealing packaging, as well as changes to how vapes can be displayed in shops – to move them out of sight and away from other products like sweets.
Further restrictions will also be placed on other nicotine products, such as pouches, to help prevent youths from taking up alternative options.
It appears that adult smokers trying to quit will still have access to alternatives like vapes under the proposals.
Alongside this, the Scottish Government has announced it will fall in line with Westminster’s plans to raise the tobacco age of sale so no one born after 1 January 2009 can ever legally be sold tobacco in Scotland.
Industry figureheads said that while youth vaping needed to be tackled, the avenue that the UK Government is taking will only fuel the fire of illicit trading and see more uptake of traditional, more harmful tobacco options.
Pete Cheema, chief executive at the Scottish Grocers’ Federation (SGF), said: “SGF believes in convenience retailers being able to provide a ‘full basket’ for their customers.
“Placing more and more regulatory pressure on retailers will inevitably lead to fewer stores being viable in the long term.”
The Fed has called for the Government to introduce a recycling scheme to better target the environmental impact the devices have.
Muntazir Dipoti, national president at The Fed, said: “Vape retailers are responsible and offer a recycling option, but the government should be looking at making more ways to safely recycle disposable vapes available.”
Marcus Saxton, chair of the Independent British Vape Trade Association, said: “Introducing bans on single-use vapes and flavours will have hugely damaging consequences, including making it harder for smokers to quit, and will push those that have quit back into smoking.
“Further, with an estimated third of the UK vape market compromising illicit products, a ban will simply benefit those pushing illegal and unregulated products as people seek out single-use and flavoured vapes from illicit sources.”
The UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) echoed this sentiment, claiming that these illicit traders will take advantage of the new regulations to put more money in their own pockets at the expense of children’s health.
John Dunne, director general at the UKVIA, said: “It hands the regulated vaping market to criminals on a silver platter.
“The leading public health charity Action on Smoking and Health UK has previously warned that children already ‘find it easy’ to access illegal vapes as those selling them have ‘no qualms’ selling to minors.
“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.”
