Tag: U.K.

Northern Ireland to Adopt Generational Ban

Stormont (Credit: Vivacity Images)
Northern Ireland will participate in the U.K. generational tobacco ban.
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 is part of the U.K. government’s plan for a “smoke-free generation,” according to the BBC.
The Northern Ireland Assembly endorsed a legislative consent motion on May 21 to allow the bill to apply to Northern Ireland.
Northern Ireland Health Minister Robin Swann said the bill aims to “stop people from ever starting to smoke, thus preventing a lifetime of addiction.” He dismissed arguments that the legislation is “nanny statism” and would deny people “freedom of choice.”
On vapes, he said the bill includes regulation-making powers to allow for future restrictions on vape flavors, packaging and point-of-sale displays. The bill is progressing through Parliament despite opposition from several leading Tory figures.
May 22, 2024
U.K. Government Draws Fire for Support of Juul

Image: Tobacco Reporter archive
The government in the United Kingdom has been criticized for its “completely inappropriate” endorsement of Juul vaping products, according to The Guardian. Many organizations blame the manufacturer for fueling an “epidemic” of underage vaping in the U.S.
Juul Labs was lauded for its underage vaping prevention efforts in an official briefing circulated by the Department of Health and Social Care about the prime minister’s plan to close a loophole allowing free samples to be given to children, according to media reports.
The press release—which included quotes from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, England’s chief medical officer, Chris Whitty, and Health Minister Neil O’Brien—portrayed the company as a leader in combating youth vaping, saying it “takes steps to ensure its products do not appeal to and are not used by anyone who is underage and encourages others in the sector to do the same.”
It also included a quote from Joe Murillo, a former tobacco executive and chief regulatory officer at Juul Labs, who praised the U.K. government’s policy and called for more to be done “to combat underage use of these products.”
The briefing—which was sent to journalists before the policy was announced publicly—appears to have directly resulted in positive media coverage for Juul, with Murillo’s quote republished by four national newspapers.
June 6, 2023
Vaping Up in U.K. Prisons

Image: Tobacco Reporter archive
Vaping has surged in U.K. prisons since a smoking ban went into effect in 2017 (in England and Wales), according to Filter.
In the 2021–2022 financial year, prisoners spent close to £8 million on vapor products. Prisoners have access to vapes as well as nicotine-replacement therapy.
While the surge in vaping has been positive in terms of harm reduction, the abrupt change has had its challenges. With the prohibition of smoking in prisons came illicit cigarettes and trading/selling other personal property, including meals, in order to obtain cigarettes.
The Howard League for Penal Reform “has supported making prisons smoke-free in principle, given the health risks to both prisoners and staff,” said Andrew Neilson, director of campaigns. “But we’ve always been concerned that the ban was implemented responsibly and that prisoners were given the proper support and resources to move away from smoking.”
Neilson cited a general lack of provisions to support mental and physical health, including lack of access to fresh air. “Prisons are still struggling to deliver these kinds of open regimes after the pandemic effectively locked prisons down and saw people kept in their cells 23 hours a day.”
The smoking ban raises questions, according to Andy West, who teaches philosophy in prisons, when a prison cell is someone’s residence and when “people still want to smoke” and “prisons seem to stoke addictions.” He said that illicit cigarettes are “more dangerous” and “Prohibition always creates a bigger monster than the one it kills.”
Despite this, the number of prisoners who have turned to vaping and stuck with it is promising. “The fact that many people have access to vaping products is welcome news from a tobacco harm reduction perspective,” said Debbie Robson, senior lecturer in tobacco harm reduction at King’s College London. “Great progress has been made in creating a smoke-free prison estate despite doubting it was achievable given the high smoking rates in prison settings.”
Robson speaks with formerly incarcerated individuals while conducting research, and many have expressed that their first vaping experiences were in prison, and “some have stayed smoke-free ever since.”
“As a nurse, that makes me question why a prison setting may be the first time someone has the opportunity to use a vape,” she said. Outside the prison system, “health and social care practitioners can do more to raise awareness and reduce barriers to vaping in groups where smoking prevalence is high,” she said.
June 2, 2023
UK to Launch Vaping ‘Enforcement Squads’

Image: RealPeopleStudio | Adobe Stock
The U.K. is set to launch “illicit vapes enforcement squads” as part of a crackdown on the illegal sale of e-cigarettes to youth under the age of 18, reports Sky News.
Led by Trading Standards, the squads will work across the country and share knowledge across regional networks and local authorities.
The government says its priority is to prevent people from smoking and to support them to quit. It has admitted vaping is a preferable alternative for adults.
However, it recognizes it has issues with illegal sales to children and illicit vapes being introduced into the market.
Neil O’Brien, the health minister who will unveil the new plans, said the new illicit vapes enforcement squad will work across the country and clamp down on those businesses that sell vapes to children.
“Our call for evidence will also allow us to get a firm understanding of the steps we can take to reduce the number of children accessing and using vapes,” he said.
Smoker rights group Forest welcomed the knowledge-focused approach. “Education is always better than coercion, so we’re pleased the government appears to favor the carrot not the stick approach to smoking cessation,” said Forest director Simon Clark.
“Vaping is a significantly less harmful alternative to smoking, so it makes sense to encourage smokers to switch to e-cigarettes.
“If, however, adult smokers still prefer to smoke tobacco, government must respect that choice.”
April 11, 2023
U.K. Considers Banning Nontobacco Flavors

Image: f11photo | Adobe Stock
The U.K. government will consider banning fruit-flavored vapes in order to combat youth usage, reports ITV News.
Public Health Minister Neil O’Brien is expected to make a speech next month calling for an investigation into the issue with the possibility of banning fruity flavors that have exploded in popularity in recent years.
In the U.K., it is illegal to sell vapes to those under 18; there are also strict limits on nicotine content, refill bottle and tank sizes as well as restrictions on advertising and labeling.
Justice Secretary Dominic Raab said the Department of Health and Social Care is exploring ways to tackle youth vaping in response to a question in the Commons.
The government is still keen to promote vaping among adults as an alternative to smoking.
March 31, 2023
U.K. Tobacco Duty Increased

Image: weyo | Adobe Stock
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt raised the U.K. tobacco duty in his spring budget, reports The Independent. A 20-pack of cigarettes will now cost more than £14 ($16.86).
The cigarette tax increased by 10.1 percent in line with the retail price index plus an additional 2 percent.
Hand-rolling tobacco will increase by 10.1 percent plus an additional 6 percent.
Smokers-rights activists were aghast.
“Punishing smokers for their habit during a cost-of-living crisis is heartless and cruel,” said Simon Clark, director of the smokers’ campaign group Forest. “It discriminates against poorer smokers and will drive many more consumers to the black market.
“This is bad news for legitimate, law-abiding retailers and bad news for the Treasury, which could lose billions of pounds in revenue if more smokers buy their tobacco from illicit traders.”
The last cigarette price increase was in October 2021.
The price increase is part of the effort to make the U.K. smoke-free by 2030.
Alcohol taxes are also set to increase with inflation.
March 16, 2023
Elf Bar Exceeds Legal U.K. E-Liquid Volumes

Elf Bar 600 products have been pulled from shelves in multiple U.K. stores after it was discovered that the products contained e-liquid volumes at levels at least 50 percent higher than what is legal, reports The Daily Mail (the article states the liquids were over nicotine limits, but there is no evidence of that. The UK limits nicotine strength to no more than 20mg/ml).
The company stated that it “inadvertently” broke the law and “wholeheartedly apologized.”
Experts described the situation as “deeply disturbing” and warned of risk to youth, among which the products are very popular.
Elf Bar, which launched in 2021, sells 2.5 million Elf Bar 600s in the U.K. every week, accounting for two in three of all disposable vapes sold.
The legal limit on e-liquid in vapes is 2 mL, but tests commissioned by the Mail on three flavors of Elf Bar 600s found volume levels between 3 mL and 3.2 mL.
Mark Oates, director of consumer advocacy group We Vape, said, “The Mail’s findings on Elf Bars are deeply worrying, and it is clear there have been failings on multiple levels.
“Not only are the levels of e-liquid too high, but checks to make sure these guidelines are adhered to either haven’t occurred or are insufficient. Anyone supplying vapes in the U.K. market should be following the legislation.
“It is incredibly frustrating when major players in this sector appear to behave in a way that damages the reputation of something as beneficial as vaping, and we expect the matter to be fully investigated by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).”
February 6, 2023
UKVIA Wants Tax Parity With NRTs for Vapor

Photo: Steve Woods | Dreamstime.com
The U.K. Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) is calling on the U.K. government to treat vapor products as nicotine replacement therapies (NRT) when calculating value-added tax (VAT).
The call comes amid reports that the Chancellor of the Exchequer considering reducing the VAT rates to stimulate the economy in the wake of the coronavirus.
In a letter to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the UKVIA urges the government to consider a level playing field for NRT and vapor products to help adult smokers who would otherwise not quit smoking switch to vaping.
The letter points to the recent Public Health England report that found that when vapor products were used to quit, either alone or with licensed medication, success rates were comparable to, or higher than, when using NRTs alone.
John Dunne, director at UKVIA, said the vapor sector has been a major retail success story this century and is playing a major role in getting smokers to quit, thereby helping cut the annual cost of healthcare associated with smoking.
“Yet according to research nearly one in 10 smokers do not switch to e-cigarettes because they considered them to cost too much,” he said. “Ensuring that the price of vaping products remains much lower than cigarettes is vitally important in continuing to encourage the some 7 million smokers in the U.K., who otherwise do not quit, to make the switch.”
July 5, 2020
Pax Labs expands vaporizer line to U.K., Germany
Pax Labs, leaders in vaporization technology, announced Sept. 15 that the company’s Pax vaporizers are now available in the U.K. and Germany. The devices are available at www.paxvapor.com and local retailers.
Since introducing its portable, loose-leaf Pax vaporizer three years ago, sales have grown by 200 percent. In March, Pax Labs introduced Pax 2, an enhanced version of the original Pax vaporizer that offers a more intelligent, high-performance smoking experience. The release of Pax vaporizers in the U.K. and Germany follows the company’s recent $46.7 million Series C funding round and is part of Pax Labs’ aggressive global expansion plan to bring its best-selling vaporizers to customers around the world.
“With the growing demand in the vaporization category, consumers have high interest in innovative products,” says James Monsees, CEO and co-founder of Pax Labs. “The timing is perfect for us to introduce Pax in the UK and Germany.”
According to Pax Labs CMO Richard Mumby, “Both London and Berlin are cultural hubs for technology innovation, cutting-edge fashion, global contemporary art and music. With our Silicon Valley approach to innovation, best-in-class technology and thoughtful design, we’re confident consumers across Europe will receive the product as favorably as we’ve experienced in the United States and Canada. Our connection with the fashion, art and music worlds will help us connect with consumers in these diverse and cultural markets. Forward-thinking, trendsetting and socially active consumers continue to be drawn to the PAX products across geographies.”
Pax has distinguished itself as a premium vaporizer brand through its collaboration with fashion, music and art. This year, Pax secured its first fashion retail partnerships with lifestyle boutiques, including Opening Ceremony New York and American Rag Los Angeles. The company also participated in Fashion Week events, collaborating with designer Richard Chai at “New York Fashion Week: Men’s” and the 2015 New York Fashion Week with Opening Ceremony and 11 by BBS. Pax has integrated its brand and products into the prolific art and music scene through artist showcases, event sponsorships and consumer engagements.
“We know that consumers connect with Pax through not only our product design but also our distinct brand identity,” says Mumby. “We’ve redefined our category, and we’re always challenging ourselves to find resonant ways to connect with our fans, often through experiential partnerships and collaborations. From speakeasies, warehouse parties and music festivals, to prolific street art, galleries and fashion shows, the U.K. and Germany are two vibrant and influential European markets. London and Berlin are two cities at the leading edge of innovation, creativity and style.”
Pax 2 is an evolved product building on the original Pax. Pax Labs further integrated new hardware and software into Pax 2, making it smaller, faster, smarter, more robust, longer lasting on a single charge, and more straightforward to use. Pax 2 is the most pocketable and premium loose-leaf vaporizer available. The device heats loose-leaf material, instead of burning it, releasing active ingredients and natural oils into a subtle vapor. This process produces no combustion and no smoke, making it optimal for social settings.
Pax 2 retails for 199 pounds in the U.K. and 259 euros in Germany. The company now has distribution in the United States, Canada, the U.K. and Germany from its online store, PAXvapor.com, and at select retail locations.
September 15, 2015
Never smokers aren’t using e-cigs, U.K. survey finds
Results of the New Youth Tobacco Policy Survey conducted by Cancer Research UK show that the majority of youth who have never smoked combustible cigarettes are not using e-cigarettes regularly.
Of the 1,205 children aged 11-16 who took part in a U.K.-wide survey on e-cigarette use, 12 percent reported “ever” use, 2 percent reported “more than monthly” use and 1 percent reported “more than weekly” use.
Among never smokers, only 3 percent reported ever use and 0 percent reported “at least monthly” use, indicating that regular e-cigarette use occurs only in youths who also smoked tobacco cigarettes.
The results of the study reflect earlier research that showed regular e-cigarette use to be extremely rare among nonsmoking youth. The latest survey, which was conducted from August to September 2014, marked the first time questions regarding e-cigarettes were included.
According to Cancer Research UK scientist and University of Stirling professor Linda Bauld, there is a common perception that the recent increase in e-cigarette use will lead to a new generation of adults who have never smoked but become dependent on nicotine. However, the survey results indicate that youth who have never used tobacco products are not using e-cigarettes regularly and that “experimentation is not translating into regular use.”
The study will be published in the Nicotine and Tobacco Research journal.
June 17, 2015