UKVIA - Tobacco Reporter

Suppliers to Prioritize Compliance: Zhao

Compliance is the bottom line of business, according to Everest Zhao, co-founder and CEO of the ICCPP group, a leading vaping product supplier in China.

In a conversation with U.K. Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) Director General John Dunne, reported on the UKVIA’s website, Zhao said that compliance represents a risk when mishandled but an opportunity when taken seriously.

China’s e-cigarette exports reached $11 billion in 2023, with exports increasing by 12.5 percent annually, according to customs statistics cited by the UKVIA. However, data disclosed in the annual reports of listed companies, suggests that this growth rate may not be sustainable and the industry may face more intense challenges and uncertainties in the future.

Everest said technology and innovation would continue to drive the industry as they bring together knowledge from diverse fields such as industrial design, thermodynamics and chemistry.

“Only by further improving technology, increasing basic research, and enhancing innovation can companies’ product and brand power keep pace with market demand,” he said.

As the industry faces increasingly demanding and diverse consumers, along with stricter regulations aimed at protecting public health and the environment, business operators will have to put compliance at forefront of all considerations, according to Zhao.

“By complying with regulations, companies can avoid unfair competition and market monopoly and promote the healthy development of the entire industry. Compliance operations require companies to continuously develop and produce products that comply with regulations, which helps promote technological innovation and development.

“Compliance operations require companies to strengthen the protection of minors, ensure that products do not contain elements that attract minors, strengthen supervision of product sales and actively protect the health and future of the next generation.”

May 3, 2024

Suppliers Updated on New U.K. Landscape

John Dunne, director general of the U.K. Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA), traveled to China to educate vape companies on Britain’s changing regulatory landscape.

The U.K. will ban disposable e-cigarettes from April next year, and the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which is currently working its way through Parliament, seeks to give ministers unprecedented powers to ban flavors and decide how vapes are packaged and sold.

Speaking at the headquarters of the Electronic Cigarette Industry Committee of the China Electronics Chamber of Commerce (ECCC), Dunne shared his expert knowledge to conduct on-site compliance training to some of the world’s leading vape companies, including Elf Bar, SKE, ELUX, HQD, Hangsen, Greensound, Aspire, ICCPP, RELX, ALD, Uwell and Zinwi.

Describing the U.K. regulatory landscape as “complex and changeable,” Dunne said issues such as the protection of minors, battery recycling and environmental protection were high on the agenda of politicians, regulators and the general public.

“It is absolutely vital that all companies operating in the U.K. are fully compliant with all local laws and work at all times to show the industry in the best possible light,” he said in a statement.

Dunne said the UKVIA would continue to work with the ECCC to help members comply with current requirements, prepare for future regulatory change and to foster global cooperation to promote the development and prosperity of the global vaping industry.

April 25, 2024

UKVIA Discusses Vape Waste Management

The U.K. Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) will host a webinar on the “Future of Vape Waste Management Post-Disposables,” according to the organization’s website.

The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive consultation period ended at the beginning of March. This consultation period has implications for the vaping sector, according to the UKVIA, including: policy makers potentially introducing a dedicated category under the WEEE directive; responsibility for collection and treatment of vape waste possibly moving completely to producers; and a potential new curbside household collection service for electronics, potentially including vape devices.

The WEEE consultation section that relates to vaping was designed to review current regulations due to the environmental challenges associated with single use vapes. However, disposables are now about to be banned in the U.K., raising questions about how the WEEE regulatory reform would affect the vapor industry.

The webinar will discuss these issues and take place on Monday, April 15, 2024.

Despite these reforms, a UKVIA investigation showed that there is a lack of interest in vape recycling in the U.K.

The investigation showed that 80 percent of major U.K. city councils and London borough councils surveyed had “no plans” to invest in new vape collection solutions in the next year.

As part of the investigation, Freedom of Information requests were issued by the UKVIA prior to the single-use vape ban to 10 major provincial city councils and 10 central London councils, including Birmingham, Manchester, Cardiff, Glasgow and Westminster.

Of those surveyed, 60 percent said they offer vape was disposal at civic amenity sites (or designated collection facilities). One in 10 have introduced vape waste containers in public places while about one-third do not offer vape waste disposal containers or drop-off points of any kind. Only one of the councils has introduced curbside or household vape collection to date.

“Councils are not anti-vapes, which are shown to be less harmful than smoking and have a place as a tool to use in smoking cessation,” said a spokesperson for the Local Government Association, which represents all the authorities contacted as part of the investigation and is one of the organizations that called for a disposable ban. “However, disposable vapes are fundamentally flawed in their design and inherently unsustainable products, meaning an outright ban will prove more effective than attempts to recycle more vapes.”

Research by Material Focus showed that 70 percent of people throw away their single-use vapes because “they didn’t know they could recycle them.” Of those surveyed, 44 percent of vapers said they would recycle their single-use vapes if there were recycling points on a street or in a park while half said they would be likely to recycle if curbside recycling was available.

“Advocating a ban on disposable vapes on environmental grounds while not committing any investment to vape waste collection, despite the need for such facilities in public places—which are controlled by local government—is a cast of the pot calling the kettle black,” said John Dunne, director general of the UKVIA, in a statement. “Even when single-use vapes are no longer available in retail outlets, there will still be millions of rechargeable and refillable vapes sold every year, not to mention a rise in black market products that will arise from the ban on disposables. So, the lack of investment in collection facilities and foresight around the need to make the disposable of vapes as convenient as possible is startling and extremely concerning.

“We are under no illusions as to what the industry needs to do to ensure it is environmentally responsible, which is why the sector has invested in producing more sustainable products, providing recycling education for consumers, rolling out recycling initiatives and innovations and ensuring it is compliant with regulations. The UKVIA is also involved in the development of a vape licensing scheme, which has just presented to parliamentarians, and, if adopted, will require retailers to provide take-back facilities in-store before being allowed to sell vapes.

“We can, and will, do much more to ensure environmental compliance across the sector, but that doesn’t mean local government can simply offload its responsibility for providing vape waste collection facilities in public places. The industry pays its business rates like any other sector, and this makes up one of the largest sources of income for local authorities—a percentage of which is earmarked for waste management. If local authorities can provide public waste disposal facilities for all types of waste, why not used vapes?

“Whilst I am sure vaping manufacturers and retailers could be encouraged to partner with local authorities to create more public collection points for vape waste, the industry can’t just put such facilities on streets and in parks, as is required. We need all the players in the vape waste ecosystem to be joined up if we are to protect both the environment and the health of former smokers.”

“Currently, a significant volume of used vaping products are being wrongfully disposed of in the general waste bin and ultimately end up at landfill,” said Steward Price, head of producer responsibility services with Waste Experts. “This powerful data demonstrates that much more needs to be done to educate consumers on the correct disposal of their waste vapes and reinforces the need for a much stronger collection and recycling infrastructure for this challenging waste stream.”

March 15, 2024

UKVIA Seeks Clarity on Advertising Notice

The U.K. Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) is seeking clarification following the recent Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) enforcement notice on the prohibition of vaping ads on social media.

The UKVIA is particularly concerned that “factual (nonpromotional) information” should only be made available to those who have “actively and specifically sought it out,” which would limit such content to social media accounts set to “private.”

The industry group is especially worried that this means factual posts, such as repeating evidence-based statistics such as vaping is 95 percent less harmful than smoking, for its annual VApril Vape Awareness Month will now be deemed unlawful.

“Around 40 percent of U.K. smokers wrongly believe that vaping is at least as harmful as, or even more harmful than, cigarettes, which suggests we need more evidence-based vaping facts on social media, not less,” the UKVIA wrote in a statement.

One of the main aims of VApril is to use both paid and organic posts on LinkedIn, X and Facebook to give facts to smokers to help them make informed decisions over how they consume nicotine.

The CAP says that after March 28, it will enforce restrictions under the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016, which prohibit “ads that have the direct or indirect effect of promoting nicotine-containing electronic cigarette products” from being shown in most social media.

The Enforcement Notice says: “Electronic cigarette ads are prohibited in any online media where content is shared to users who have not specifically sought it out.

“This means paid-for display ads in all online space are prohibited, but it also means that regular, non-paid-for posts and content in social media, which might get shared by an algorithm to users, are prohibited too.”

The Advertising Standards Authority will hold a webinar on March 21 where the rules on social media vape ads will be explained.

March 4, 2024

United Kingdom to Ban Disposable Vapes

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

UKVIA Exposes Illicit Vape Sellers

Authorities have been alerted to more than 100 retailers suspected of underage and illicit vape sales through the U.K. Vaping Industry Association’s (UKVIA) nationwide Be Vape Vigilant initiative, according to a UKVIA press release.

The ongoing campaign, which started at the end of 2023 and is supported by Trading Standards, the Association of Convenience Stores and the wider retail sector, was created to encourage legitimate businesses and the general public to help cut off youth sales and the supply of illegal products at source by turning in those retailers and wholesalers believed to be flouting the law.

A new online platform has been established as part of the initiative, through which suspected rogue traders can be reported. The UKVIA then passes the information on to the relevant authorities who will use the intelligence in their ongoing efforts to crackdown on rogue traders. To date, 136 reports have been made through the platform.

“Trading Standards Services rely on intelligence to target enforcement effectively and efficiently, so we are pleased that the Be Vape Vigilant reporting line is being used to let us know about people selling illegal vapes and/or selling vapes to children,” said Kate Pike, lead officer for vaping at Trading Standards. “The more intelligence the better from our point of view”

Of those businesses flagged, more than half were nonspecialist retailers including convenience stores, corner shops, off-licenses and market stalls. One of the sellers reported through the platform was a dessert shop and one was a private residence.

Almost 20 percent of all reports related exclusively to the underage sale of vaping products, while 47 percent related exclusively to illicit and noncompliant products. Overall, more than one-third of the reported businesses were believed to be guilty of both.

Other key data includes: 77 percent of the retailers were physical sellers while 23 percent were online; 84 percent of the retailers were located in England, 9 percent in Scotland and 7 percent in Wales; Swansea was the area with the highest number of reports; at least two of the retailers have previously been reported to Trading Standards and the police; and eight of the retailers were suspected of engaging in other illegal activity such as the supply of drugs and the underage sale of tobacco.

“I was pleased to see so many people have engaged with the campaign in the short time since its launch and thank all those who have used the Be Vape Vigilant platform to sound the alarm on retailers suspected of underage and illicit vape sales,” said UKVIA Director General John Dunne. “Many of the reports actually came from legitimate vape retailers, which makes clear that unscrupulous sellers are not welcome and will not be tolerated by our industry.

“The data gathered from the first batch of reports supports the link between youth access to vaping and illicit products with many of the retailers believed to be engaging in both. Further, the sheer number of reports, paired with the fact that two of the retailers have already been reported to the authorities, reinforces the need for greater resources and support for Trading Standards.”

Dunne added: “The UKVIA is currently involved in a major industry-wide consultation to develop a framework for vape retail and distributor licensing—due to be presented to parliamentarians in February—which could generate millions of pounds in additional funding for enforcement and further bring the hammer down on rogue retailers.

“While 100 reports is an excellent first milestone, this only represents a step on the journey to creating a more responsible and accountable sector—which is why the UKVIA will be ramping up this campaign moving into 2024 and is calling on those within and outside the industry to be vape vigilant.”

As part of the Be Vape Vigilant initiative, the UKVIA has also created a range of downloadable materials, which businesses can display in-store and online to mobilize the general public in helping to bring cowboy retailers and wholesalers to justice.

January 26, 2024

Number of U.K. Vape Shops Up in 2023

The number of vape shops in the United Kingdom increased significantly last year, according to a reports in The Independent citing a survey by the Local Data Co. (LDC).

The country currently has 3,573 specialist vape shops, 233 more than at the start of 2023. This compares with an increase of 61 shops in 2022 and a decline of 23 in 2020.

The LCD figures exclude the numerous convenience stores, post office shops and news agents that also stock e-cigarettes and related products.

Sales of vape products grew by £897.4 million ($1.14 billion) in 2023, according to data published by NIQ and trade The Grocer.

The fastest growing vape brand in the U.K. was Lost Mary, which saw its sales grow by £310 million over 2022.

The market for traditional tobacco products contracted in 2023. Sales of cigarettes and loose tobacco declined £849.1 million and £393.1 million, respectively.

Keen to crack down on youth vaping, the government recently announced a consultation on how to protect children while encouraging adults to use e-cigarettes to quit.

Its suggestions include restricting flavors and product descriptions that may be appealing to underage consumers, along with rules on how products are presented in stores.

Jonne Dunne, director general of the U.K. Vaping Industry Association, said the rise in the number of specialist vape shops reflects the growing demand from smokers wanting to quit their cigarette habit.

“Vapes are proven to be the most effective way for smokers to quit,” he was quoted as saying, adding that e-cigarettes are helping around 50,000 more smokers beat their habit every year.

January 5, 2024

WHO Announcement Provokes Backlash

Tobacco harm reduction advocates have vehemently criticized the World Health Organization’s call to crack down on e-cigarettes.

On Dec. 14, the global health body issued a statement urging action to prevent the uptake of e-cigarettes and counter nicotine addiction. On the same day, it released a technical note with detailed information on the evidence and factors underpinning its guidance.

“E-cigarettes as consumer products are not shown to be effective for quitting tobacco use at the population level,” the WHO wrote. “Instead, alarming evidence has emerged on adverse population health effects.”

In its announcement, the WHO described e-cigarettes with nicotine as highly addictive and harmful to health. “Whilst long-term health effects are not fully understood, it has been established that they generate toxic substances, some of which are known to cause cancer and some that increase the risk of heart and lung disorders,” the organization wrote.

“Use of e-cigarettes can also affect brain development and lead to learning disorders for young people. Fetal exposure to e-cigarettes can adversely affect the development of the fetus in pregnant women. Exposure to emissions from e-cigarettes also poses risks to bystanders.”

To address the impact of e-cigarettes, the WHO encouraged national governments to ban vape flavors, limit the concentration of nicotine, and tax e-cigarettes.

Tobacco harm reduction activists were aghast. “The WHO’s latest stance on vaping flavors is not just misguided, it’s dangerously out of touch with scientific reality,” wrote Michael Landl, director of the World Vapers’ Alliance, in a statement.

“By pushing for a blanket ban, the WHO blatantly disregards a wealth of scientific evidence that underscores the benefits of vaping when compared to alternatives. Flavored e-cigarettes have been proven to increase the chances of successful smoking cessation by 230 percent compared to non-flavored alternatives. It’s appalling to see such a pivotal public health tool being dismissed by an organization that should be at the forefront of harm reduction.”

The WHO’s attack on vaping is both inaccurate and misleading and will further discourage smokers from making the life-changing decision to quit.

John Dunne, director general, UKVIA

The U.K. Vaping Industry Association said the WHO announcement was based on discredited research and predicted that the measures would be “disastrous” for public health.

“The WHO’s attack on vaping is both inaccurate and misleading and will further discourage smokers from making the life-changing decision to quit,” said UKVIA Director General John Dunne in a statement. “Vapes are 95 percent less harmful than cigarettes and are responsible for an accelerated drop in smoking in the U.K. in the past decade.”

“The WHO’s criticism of vaping is based on discredited research and implying that vaping is in some way proven to be cancer-causing is wholly misleading, as is the claim that it harms brain development in young people, a scare story that is simply not true.

“Banning flavored vapes would lead to more smokers and more smoking deaths. Indeed, 80 percent of vapers consider the availability of flavors to be a significant part of their quitting journey, according to One Poll in March 2023. 24 percent of respondents said that banning flavors would likely lead them to revert to smoking, potentially affecting over 1.1 million individuals in the UK.

“Restricting adult access to vapes has had disastrous consequences around the world, such as in Australia, where it has resulted in a massive unregulated black market and a boost to smoking rates.”

Earlier this month, tobacco harm reduction specialists raised concern about the FCTC’s direction of travel in a special report published by Forniche.

December 15, 2023

UKVIA Contests Ban

The U.K. Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) has called on smokers, vapers and the wider industry to join a national petition urging the government against banning disposable vapes and flavors.

The petition highlights the potential public health consequences of “excessive and counterproductive legislation” that reduces the effectiveness of vaping as a stop-smoking tool, according to the UKVIA. Blocking access to flavors and disposables could prevent adult smokers from switching from combustible cigarettes, according to the organization.

The UKVIA is directly engaging with its own members, advocacy groups and online communities to encourage consumers to pledge their support to the petition. The UKVIA is also running a major social media campaign to maximize sign-ups and sharing stories from ex-smokers who have switched to vaping.

“The prospect of heavy restrictions or bans on disposables or vape flavors, as being considered as part of the ongoing government consultation, could be the biggest health setback this century and risks undermining years of smoke-free progress,” said John Dunne, director general of the UKVIA, in a statement.

“Under no circumstances should these products end up in the hands of minors, and there is no doubt that preventing youth access to vaping is critical, but this cannot be achieved by sacrificing the stop smoking potential of vaping for adult smokers. The voice of the vaper has gone largely unheard around the government’s consultation, yet they could be the victims of any punitive measures introduced. Therefore, we have created this petition to give a platform to the millions of adult vapers who have quit with the help of disposables and flavors—it is critical that vapers nationwide now come together to collectively warn the government against prohibitive and harmful legislation.”

The new petition was created as part of an ongoing UKVIA campaign to “Save Vaping, Save Lives,” which has also included equipping the association’s members with information to encourage and mobilize vapers to respond to the government’s youth vaping consultation.

December 8, 2023

Adult Vapers Rely on Flavors: Research

New industry figures, collected by online vape retailers representing around 43 percent of the U.K. market, have revealed that significant numbers of older adults are users of disposable and flavored vapes, which are the focus of a government consultation to address the issue of youth vaping that will close on Dec. 6.

The industry warns that any moves to ban single use vapes and flavors, which have been key drivers in the decline of smoking to record low levels in the U.K. over the last two years, will have catastrophic consequences for the nation’s public health and will effectively end any chance of creating a smokefree generation in the near future.

The data collected from the last quarter sales by four of the country’s leading online retailers, representing nearly a quarter of the U.K. market, revealed that:

The most popular flavor category amongst middle-aged adults (35-44 and year olds) was “fruit” flavors, followed “treats and desserts”
Highest proportion of tobacco flavor use is in the over-55 age category
Menthol flavors and tobacco flavors are significantly less popular amongst middle-aged adults
The average age of adult disposable users is 39

The latest adult vaping statistics follow a survey conducted by One Poll earlier this year, which revealed that 83 percent of vapers said that flavors helped them quit smoking, with one in three saying that a ban on them would lead them back to conventional cigarettes, which would represent around 1.5 million former smokers.

Why should 4.5 million adults who have spent years trying to kick a habit that kills some 250 people a day, and have managed to do so through vaping, be at risk of having their lifeline taken away?”

John Dunne, director, UKVIA

“These statistics show what we in the industry already know—that the very flavors and single use vapes that are now under scrutiny by the government as it looks to tackle youth vaping are a lifeline for former adult smokers,” said Dan Marchant, co-owner of online retailer Vape Club, which contributed to the demographic sales data.

“The legitimate vaping industry completely recognizes the need to deal with youth vaping but it shouldn’t involve any wholesale bans, as this will affect the adults who depend on them. There is already a ban on vapes for under 18 year olds as it is illegal for retailers to sell devices to minors. That’s why the industry is calling for greater enforcement of the existing law, on-the-spot fines of up to £10,000 ($12,631) per offence and the introduction of a retail licensing scheme to weed out the rogue traders.”

“Why should 4.5 million adults who have spent years trying to kick a habit that kills some 250 people a day, and have managed to do so through vaping, be at risk of having their lifeline taken away?” asked UKVIA’s Director General John Dunne.

“If the government goes down the path of banning single use vapes and/or flavors a return to smoking amongst current vapers will be very much on the cards, bringing with it catastrophic consequences for the public health of the nation and wrecking any chances of the government’s smoke free ambition. The only winners from any potential bans on the vaping industry are the tobacco industry and illicit markets, something that no one in their right mind wants to see.”

December 5, 2023

Tag: UKVIA