UK Urged to Tackle Illegal Vapes

The U.K. government should be cracking down on illegal vapes rather than introducing redundant policies on cigarettes, according to BAT Chief Corporate Officer Kingsley Wheaton.

Wheaton made his comments in the context of the British government’s “generational tobacco ban.” The U.K.’s previous Conservative administration announced plans to create a smoke-free generation by banning the sales of cigarettes in the future to anyone who is currently aged 14 or under. The new Labour government is continuing with the policy and is also concerned about the prevalence of disposable vapes.

Wheaton cited a BAT analysis showing that by the time the generational ban takes force, smoking rates will have already fallen below 5 percent in that age category.

BAT is instead pushing for licensing for retailers selling vapes. With proper enforcement, licensing will help reduce the number of underage children getting their hands on e-cigarettes and level the playing field for all companies operating in the industry, according to the multinationals.

“We need to move on to a more mature dialog with real solutions for the problems that are out there,” Wheaton was quoted as saying by Bloomberg.