Tag: UKVIA

UKVIA Forum Kicks Off
The U.K. Vaping Industry Association’s (UKVIA) annual Industry Forum will take place at the London Marriott Hotel Regents Park on Friday, Nov. 15.
The event will feature a program of timely panel discussions, including “Politics in the Spotlight”; “Closing the Trust Gap”; “Adding Consumers to the Conversation”; and “The Balancing Act,” which will explore the best route to further unlock vaping’s potential to improve harm reduction while also protecting young people.
It will also include a panel discussion titled “Killing the Black Market, Not the Consumers,” which will look at how interventions such as a vape retailer and distributor licensing scheme could put a stop to rogue traders for good and bring about a new age of responsibility and accountability for the sector.
“The industry has long been calling for stronger action against the unscrupulous sellers who flout the law and put young people, consumers and legitimate businesses at risk, and we were delighted to see the inclusion of licensing in the new government’s Tobacco and Vapes Bill,” said UKVIA Director General John Dunne in a statement.
“Earlier this year, the UKVIA was involved in the development of a vape retailer and distributor licensing framework, which would prevent inappropriate businesses—including sweet shops—from ever selling these products, would bring into force stronger penalties for those breaking the rules and would generate upward of £50 million [$63.65 million] per year in self-sustaining funding, which could be used to empower Trading Standards.”
This year’s UKVIA Forum will also feature a keynote on the “new era of enforcement” from Kate Pike, lead officer for vaping with the Chartered Trading Standards Institute, as well as a Q&A with Orla Menzies, the vaping policy lead for HMRC, and—for the first time—an onstage showcase where five companies will discuss how they are adapting their product offerings and leading on innovation across the sector.
November 14, 2024
U.K. Announces Cigarette and Vape Tax Hikes

Image: John Gomez
The U.K. government will increase tobacco duties by 2 percent above inflation for the remainder of the current parliamentary session and increase duty by a further 10 percent on roll-your-own tobacco this year, Finance Minister Rachel Reeves announced during the presentation of her budget plans on Oct. 30. From October 2026, the U.K. will also introduce a flat-rate duty on all vaping liquid alongside an additional one-off increase in tobacco duty to maintain the incentive to give up smoking, reports Reuters.
Smokers’ rights activists warned that the plans would backfire.
“Increasing the tax on tobacco above inflation will drive even more smokers to the black market, fueling illicit trade and hurting legitimate retailers,” said Simon Clark, director of FOREST, in a statement.
“It discriminates against consumers from poorer backgrounds for whom smoking may be one of the few pleasures available to them.
“Instead of punishing the low-paid, the government should focus on improving the environmental conditions that drive many people to smoke in the first place.”
The U.K. Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) described the planned duty on e-liquid as a penalty for smokers seeking to transition to less harmful nicotine products.
“Whilst a flat-rate tax versus one graded on different nicotine strengths is favored so as not to deter smokers who rely on higher concentrations of nicotine when they start transitioning over to vapes, the additional cost of £2.64 (including VAT) per 10 ml of e-liquid is a kick in the teeth for former adult smokers who have switched to vaping to quit their habits. It will also be the highest rate in Europe,” said UKVIA Director General John Dunne in a statement.
“Some 3 million adults are former smokers thanks to vaping, which is strongly evidenced as the most effective way to quit conventional cigarettes, saving the NHS [National Health Service] millions of pounds in treating patients with smoking-related conditions. This announcement today deters adult smokers from considering vapes as a method to give up their habits and hits the lowest-paid who go for more price-sensitive e-liquid options, which currently start at 99 pence and will rise to £3.83, representing a shocking rise of 267 percent.
“For a government that places a great focus on the NHS, it is a nonsensical move to put a severe punitive tax level on vaping when the category has done so much to reduce the number of adult smokers requiring medical attention by being a driving force in the decline of smoking rates to record-low levels in recent years.”
October 31, 2024
UKVIA Urges Balance in Vape Legislation

The U.K. Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) has warned policymakers ahead of the Tobacco & Vapes Bill that it has to strike the right balance between introducing new vaping legislation and ensuring that it does not deter smokers from giving up by switching to considerably less harmful vapes.
On Oct. 24, the U.K. government announced that disposable vapes will be banned from June next year,
In a statement, the UKVIA reminded policymakers that vaping and disposable vapes have made a huge contribution to bringing down smoking rates amongst adults to the lowest levels on record in recent years.
“We recognize that disposable vapes have divided opinion, but their accessibility and convenience, particularly amongst low income groups who are the most prevalent smokers, should not be forgotten and highlights the careful balancing act required in future legislation so that it does not penalize those adult smokers that want to give up by using vapes, which have been evidenced to be the most effective method in quitting cigarettes,” said John Dunne, director general of the UKVIA.
“We have not shied away from the fact that the environmental impact and youth vaping challenges associated with disposables need to be addressed head on. Also, this announcement does nothing to stop the import of disposable vapes, which means there is a ready supply entering the country which will make their way onto the black market.
“Bans are not the answer as we’ve seen in other parts of the world, such as Australia, as they will only boost the black market which will pose significant risks to young people and the environment.

This announcement does nothing to stop the import of disposable vapes, which means there is a ready supply entering the country which will make their way onto the black market.
John Dunne, director general, UKVIA
“What’s needed is greater enforcement of current laws in place which make it a legal requirement for vape traders not to sell to children under the age of 18 and to comply with environmental legislation such as the WEEE regulations. However, recent Freedom of Information requests sent to Trading Standards nationally, the Environmental Agency and Office for Product Safety and Standards shows extremely low levels of enforcement in terms of the penalties and prosecutions that would make rogue traders think twice about breaking the law.”
“It’s why we have campaigned for a vape retailer and distributor licensing scheme. To qualify for a license, retailers will need to show they have put measures in place to prevent the sale of vapes to minors. Distributors will also need to ensure they are meeting environmental obligations, as well as ensuring they only stock and sell compliant goods. As part of this scheme we are also calling for up to £10,000 [$12,976)] and £100,000 fines for retailers and distributors respectively who break the law, and together with the money that the licensing scheme will raise—estimated to be £50 million—this will be used to fund the level of enforcement that is required.”
October 25, 2024
‘Never Smoker’ Ill-Defined in Study: UKVIA

Photo: Tobacco Reporter archive
A recent study suggesting there are more vapers without a history of smoking in England improperly defines “never smokers,” according to the U.K. Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA).
“This new research talks about ‘never-regular-smokers’ vaping, their definition for this being people who have not smoked for more than a year,” said UKVIA Director General John Dunne in a statement.
“This definition is problematic as it does not exclusively include what most people would define as nonsmokers. As the study authors also point out, it is impossible to say if their cohort, whether experimenting with cigarettes already or not, would not have become smokers were it not for vapes.
“The authors themselves also note that some people have genes and circumstances leading them to like nicotine products; traditionally, they ended up smoking, but some are now discovering vaping without becoming smokers first. If vaping did not exist, they would be smoking.
“Vaping should only be for smokers looking to quit, but we also need to ensure that those smokers continue to have access to what they need in order to quit.”
October 7, 2024
Medical Group Urges Action Against Vaping
Photo:Mikhail Reschetnikov
The British Medical Association (BMA) is calling on the government to stop the growth of vaping in the U.K.
In a report titled Taking Our Breath Away: Why We Need Stronger Regulation of Vapes, the BMA sets out its blueprint for what legislation should include to tackle rising vape use, especially among children and young people. Recommendations include:
banning the commercial sale of all disposable vapes;
banning all nontobacco vape flavors;
prohibiting the use of all imagery, coloring and branding for both the packaging and vape device, similar to current restrictions on cigarettes;
further restrictions on all advertising and marketing, and ensuring vapes are kept behind the counter and not on display in shops and retail outlets; and
government education campaigns for the public on the dangers of vapes to reduce appeal, especially among children and young people.
While the BMA recognizes that vapes can be a useful tool in helping some people to stop smoking cigarettes, the organization stresses that they offer a less dangerous rather than a risk-free alternative. “Vaping can lead to nicotine addiction, with nicotine having the potential to cause health problems such as high blood pressure and increased risk of COPD,” the BMA wrote in a statement. “Further, some e-cigarettes have been found to contain other harmful substances such as lead.”
Vaping industry representatives cautioned that the proposed measures could have unintended consequences.
“The UKVIA [U.K. Vaping Industry Association] agrees that stronger measures are needed to cut off the supply of youth vaping and illicit products; however, actions laid out in this report would sooner supercharge the black market and push the nation’s smoke-free ambitions further out of reach by deterring adult smokers from making the switch and driving current vapers into the hands of underground sellers or back to cigarettes,” said John Dunne, director general of the UKVIA, in a statement.
“The BMA undersells the quitting power of vapes when it says the reduced-risk alternative ‘can be useful in helping some people to stop smoking.’ The latest data from leading public health charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) U.K. found more than half of ex-smokers in Great Britain who quit in the past five years used a vape in their last attempt—ASH also reports that current and ever use of vapes among 11[-year-olds to] 17-year-olds has decreased since last year.”
August 28, 2024
UKVIA Warns Against ‘Spice’ Vapes

Photo: fedorovacz
The U.K. Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) has cautioned consumers about an increase in illegal “Spice vapes” and called for urgent government action to protect young people.
The warning follows reports of people misusing “open” vape devices—which allow consumers to add e-liquid—to deliver synthetic cannabinoids such as Spice and the psychoactive chemical THC, which is found in cannabis. Spice is a nickname for a substance containing one or more synthetic cannabinoids.
UKVIA stated that the regulated nicotine vape industry is in no way connected with the trend of using open vape devices as a delivery mechanism for illegal drugs.
“Consumers can feel confident that when they buy regulated products from any reputable vape supplier, that they will be getting nicotine vapes which are designed to help them transition from cigarettes,” said UKVIA Director General John Dunne in a statement.
“I am worried, however, that there are vape devices available from unofficial sources which may contain illegal drugs and that those who buy them may have no idea what is contained in these products.”
According to Office for Health Improvement & Disparities statistics, of the 12,418 young people under 18 in contact with alcohol and drug services between April 2022 and March 2023, cannabis was the most common substance (87 percent) for which young people sought treatment. While 10,837 young people reported having a problem with cannabis only 1,737 said they had a problem with nicotine.
“We need the government to step on now with a nationwide education campaign in traditional and social media to highlight the dangers of obtaining vape devices from unofficial sources and explaining the differences between legal and illegal vape products,” said Dunne.
“Unless a clear distinction is made between the regulated vape market supplying adult smokers with products which are 95 percent less harmful than cigarettes and the unofficial supply of illegal products, then people will become wary of all vapes with the potential to drive smoking rates back up again.”
August 28, 2024
Trade Group Suggests Changes to U.K. Vapes Bill

Photo: VPZ
Responding to the announcement, made during the Kings Speech on July 17, that the Tobacco and Vapes Bill is back on Britain’s legislative agenda, the U.K. Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) proposed several amendments to the legislation.
Among other suggestions, the industry group proposed a vape retail and distributor licensing scheme that would prohibit rogue resellers from trading and provide £50 million ($64.88 million) funding to support heightened enforcement by an under-resourced Trading Standards.
It also suggested giving the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency new powers to outlaw child-friendly imagery and packaging.
In addition, the UKVIA proposed the introduction of a statutory requirement for the Secretary of State to consult with any interested stakeholders prior to introducing any new regulations.
“In its haste to rush this legislation through, the previous administration failed to consider any of these sensible and proportionate measures which would help smokers quit, protect young people and give much-needed funds to create a fit-for-purpose regulatory and enforcement framework moving forward,” said UKVIA Director General John Dunne in a statement.
“The UKVIA sincerely hopes that the new government and Wes Streeting as Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and his department takes the time to get this right and does not fall into the trap of rushing it through as the Conservatives attempted to do.”

The powers contained in this bill have the potential to cause either enormous good or enormous harm for the health outcomes of the nation and this is why our politicians must act with care to get it right.
John Dunne, director general, UKVIA
According to Dunne, there is much at stake.
“The powers contained in this bill have the potential to cause either enormous good or enormous harm for the health outcomes of the nation and this is why our politicians must act with care to get it right,” he said.
“At its worst, it could lead to the ban of all flavored vapes, the end of retail in-store displays and vape products hidden from view just like deadly cigarettes. This would be the worst possible outcome because restricting vape sales would encourage former smokers to return to cigarettes and open the floodgates for black market dealers to take over the supply chain and target vulnerable young people in the process.
“At best, it will give impetus to help the country’s 6.4 million smokers finally quit cigarettes, prevent millions of unnecessary of deaths and save the NHS hundreds of millions of pounds in treatment costs.”
July 18, 2024
Inter Scientific joins UKVIA

Inter Scientific, an analytical testing and regulatory compliance firm, has joined the U.K. Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA).
“We are thrilled to join UKVIA as a full board member and contribute to the advancement of the vaping industry in the U.K.,” said Inter Scientific CEO David Lawson.
“At Inter Scientific, we believe in the potential benefits to 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 says it will actively engage in initiatives aligned with the UKVIA’s strategic objectives. “We will uphold the highest quality standards to demonstrate the industry’s responsibility, promote sector growth and its economic contribution,” the company wrote on its website.
“Addressing misinformation about vaping will be a priority, aiming to correct misconceptions and highlight vaping as a beneficial tool for smoking cessation. Additionally, we aim to foster acceptance and support from the public health community, emphasizing vaping’s role in improving public health outcomes.”
July 11, 2024
UKVIA Applies for Approved Code Scheme

Image: Chinnapong
The U.K. Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) has initiated the application process to become part of the CTSI Approved Code Scheme (ACS).
The ACS was created to give greater peace of mind and protection to consumers, and members of the scheme are recognized as trustworthy, reputable and having a proven commitment to “honest business” and “higher standards,” according to the UKVIA. Representatives of the UKVIA have already met with officials from the Chartered Trading Standards Institute to discuss the significance of this accreditation and the path ahead.
John Dunne, director general of the UKVIA, said: “As the most influential association in the sector, we have and continue to expect the highest levels of responsibility from our members and regularly lead on initiatives to drive accountability across the industry—including publishing guidelines around marketing and sustainability, the rolling out of our Be Vape Vigilant campaign and, most recently, the development of a retail and distributor licensing framework.
“The vape sector is facing intense scrutiny, and the legitimate industry must show it is committed to only the highest standards. The ACS fits with this goal.”
July 9, 2024
‘Trading Standards Underfunded’

Image: doethion
Trading Standards, the agency tasked with enforcing U.K. consumer protection laws and fair trading practices, needs more money to enforce the country’s vape legislation, according to an analysis commissioned by the Association of Convenience Stores.
The study found that the agency needs £168.34 million ($213.45 million) over five years to properly carry out its responsibilities. This figure represents a near 30 percent increase in net budgets for Trading Standards and takes into consideration the cost of enforcement officers, training, detection dogs, legal fees and product disposal.
The U.K. government previously committed to a £30 million annual enforcement top-up; however, it appears only one-third of the funding boost would have actually been assigned to Trading Standards, according to the U.K. Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA).
“The ACS-commissioned analysis shows that a huge funding boost is needed if we are to rain down on illegal vape sellers with the full force of the nation’s dedicated, but under-resourced, Trading Standards officers—a cost that the U.K. government has yet failed to meet but one that could be covered by the sector’s comprehensive licensing framework,” said UKVIA Director General John Dunne in a statement.
“It’s rare for an industry to advocate for its own regulation, but we have and will continue to call on the government to introduce a vape licensing scheme because it is what is needed to back effective enforcement and to usher in a new age of accountability for our sector.”
June 20, 2024