UKVIA - Tobacco Reporter

UKVIA Publishes Annual Report

The U.K. Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) has published its 2022 annual report.

Among the highlights of 2022 was the launch of the UKVIA-commissioned Economic Impact Report from the Centre for Economics and Business Research, which—for the first time—detailed the national and regional contribution that the U.K. vape industry made to the economy, according to the UKVIA.

“Our industry is under scrutiny like never before, and we must tackle the big issues, such as underage vaping, the environmental impact of disposable devices and the massive influx of fake and illegal imports,” said John Dunne, director general of the UKVIA. “Any one of these issues has the potential to see regulators clamp down hard on vaping, and the fact that they are all happening at once demonstrates that it is crucial that we get our house in order without delay.”

January 26, 2023

Call for Innovation to Facilitate Recycling

The U.K. Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) is calling upon its members and the wider industry to innovate products that make them easier to recycle for the waste management sector.

The move comes as pressure mounts to ban single-use disposable devices.

On Jan. 3, upmarket supermarket chain Waitrose announced a complete withdrawal from the single use vapes market. “Selling single use vapes is not something we could justify given the impact on both the environment and the health of young people,” said Commercial Director Charlotte Di Cello.

While environmental campaigners applauded the move, vaping advocates said Waitrose could do more to protect both public health and the planet by instead refusing to sell combustible cigarettes, which are the world’s most littered item.

Just five days later, Scottish Ph.D. student Laura Young made national headlines in the U.K. when a video she posted on Twitter of her collecting 55 discarded disposable vapes while out walking her dog went viral.

Young, who goes by the Twitter handle @LessWasteLaura, gained public support when she posted two more follow-up posts and called for single-use vapes to be banned.

Following the publicity surrounding her anti-disposable campaign, the Scottish government said it was “considering the emerging issues around single-use disposable vapes’ and urged consumers to dispose of them responsibly.”

“We are working to find a waste management solution that minimizes the impact of vapes on the environment so they are seen for what they do best—helping adult smokers kick their habits.”

John Dunne, director-general, UKVIA

According to the UKVIA, as campaigns like this gain traction, it may be only a matter of time before regulators decide to look closer at the disposable sector of the vape market.

UKVIA Director-General John Dunne said that while the vaping industry recognizes its responsibilities to the environment, the recycling of vapes requires collaboration between adult vapers, retailers, manufacturers, the regulators and companies in the waste management sector, which are involved in the current producer compliance schemes under the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) regulations.

“Up to now, there has been genuine confusion amongst the vaping sector about their responsibilities under the WEEE directive,” said Dunne in a statement. “Earlier this year, the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment alluded to uncertainty around whether regulations covered the type of batteries found in vapes and also questioned the recycling infrastructure in place to support the sector to be more sustainable.

“This is why we are working hard as an industry to find a waste management solution that minimizes the impact of vapes on the environment, particularly when it comes to single-use disposables, so they are seen for what they do best—helping adult smokers kick their habits and save the lives of millions as well as millions of pounds for the health service.”

January 16, 2023

U.K. Smoking Levels at All Time Low

U.K. smoking levels have fallen to just 13.3 percent—the lowest since records began—according to new government data that says vaping played a “major role” in the decline.

The latest data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) shows that the smoking rate for 2021 is down from the previous low of 14 percent in 2020, which means that there are around 6.6 million smokers in the U.K.

The ONS said this was the lowest proportion of current smokers since records started in 2011, based on estimates from the Annual Population Survey.

The report said: “Vaping devices such as e-cigarettes have played a major role in the decrease in smoking prevalence in the U.K.

“In this bulletin, we have reported an increase in e-cigarette use, and organizations such as Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) have reported similar increases in e-cigarettes (vapes) usage among adults in Great Britain.”

In the U.K. as a whole, 15.1 percent of men and 11.5 percent of women smoked, a trend that has been consistent since 2011.

The 25–34 age group had the highest proportion of current smokers (15.8 percent) while those aged 65 and over came in lowest (8 percent).

People without qualifications were more likely to be current smokers (28.2 percent) than those whose highest level of education was a degree or equivalent (6.6 percent).

Among respondents to the ONS survey, 7.7 percent said they currently used an e-cigarette daily or occasionally.

According to the authors, this equates to around 4 million adults in the population, an increase on the estimate from 2020, when 6.4 percent of people reported daily or occasional e-cigarette use.

“This is absolutely fantastic news, and I am delighted that the U.K.’s vaping industry is playing its part in making this happen.”

John Dunne, director general, UKVIA

Tobacco harm reduction advocates were elated by the decline in smoking. “This is absolutely fantastic news, and I am delighted that the U.K.’s vaping industry is playing its part in making this happen,” said John Dunne, director general of the U.K. Vaping Industry Association, in a statement.

“The government must now redouble its efforts to ensure that it gets its 2030 smoke-free ambitions back on track so that smoking can finally be consigned to history.”

Dunne said stakeholders should capitalize on the momentum by reaching out to remaining smokers and giving them the facts that they need to make the switch to vaping. “We must allow vape companies to use agreed health claims and switching messages to encourage adult smokers to switch to e-cigarettes and make full use of the different methods of communication available to the government and public health bodies,” he said.

December 7, 2022

Vape Group Denounces EU Vape Tax Proposal

The World Vapers’ Alliance (WVA) has denounced the EU’s leaked plan to increase vaping taxes, according to the U.K. Vaping Industry Association.

“The [EU] Commission claims that higher taxes will improve public health, but the reality is the exact opposite,” said WVA Director Michael Landl. “A less harmful alternative, such as vaping, must be affordable for ordinary smokers trying to quit cigarettes. If the commission wants to reduce the burden of smoking on public health, they must make vaping more affordable and accessible, not less.

“High taxes hit the least advantaged people most. In times of multiple crises and people struggling to make ends meet, making vaping more expensive is the opposite of what we need. Policymakers must understand that tax increases on vaping will force people back to smoking or the black market, a scenario nobody wants. In times of crisis, people shouldn’t be further punished by an unscientific and ideological fight against vaping. This must be stopped,” said Landl.

“Rather than fighting vaping, the EU finally must embrace tobacco harm reduction. What we need is risk-based regulation. Vaping is 95 percent less harmful than smoking and, therefore, must not be treated the same way as conventional smoking,” added Landl.

November 29, 2022

Vape Sector Boosts U.K. Economy: Report

The vape industry has had a considerable positive impact on the U.K. economy, according to a new report compiled by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) on behalf of the U.K. Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA).

Valued at £2.8 billion ($3.36 billion) in 2021, the U.K. vape sector supports almost 18,000 full-time-equivalent jobs in retail, manufacturing and supply chain. What’s more, smokers abandoning cigarettes in favor of less harmful e-cigarettes have saved the National Health Service (NHS) more than £300 million in 2019 alone, according to the report.

Even as many businesses suffered in recent years, vape retail stores have bucked the trend and represent one of the biggest growing sectors since the first decade of the 21st century when they started to appear for the first time.

From 2017 to 2021, the U.K. vape sector’s turnover grew by 23.4 percent to £1.33 billion last year alone. When indirect economic benefits such as supply chain support and the spending power of vape sector workers is factored in, the economic impact more than doubles.

In 2021, the vaping industry paid £310 million in taxes to the British exchequer.

CEBR estimates that the vaping sector saved the U.K. £322 million in smoking-related healthcare costs in 2019. The research organization reckons that if 50 percent of smokers switched to vaping, the potential healthcare savings would have been £698 million in 2020.

Meanwhile, the gain in economic productivity associated with smokers switching to using vaping products was estimated to be £1.3 billion in 2019. If 50 percent of remaining U.K. smokers switched to vaping, this would increase to £3.33 billion, according to the study.

“In little over a decade, vaping in the U.K. has grown from very much a ‘cottage industry’ to one of the fastest growing sectors in not just retail but the whole economy.”

John Dunne, director general, UKVIA

“The findings of the vaping industry’s first ever economic impact report demonstrates its significant success as a fast-growing disruptive sector,” says Owen Good, head of economic advisory at CEBR.

“Whilst many high street retailers have suffered in recent years, the vaping sector has bucked the trend, with significant growth both in-store and online. Even the effects of the pandemic have not significantly hampered the sector’s growth.

“The sector’s growth has been hugely beneficial to the U.K. economy; businesses and their employees directly involved in the industry and those running operations across the wider supply chain; and the NHS, which has seen a massive cost saving with increasing numbers of smokers switching to vaping in order to quit their habits.”

“In little over a decade, vaping in the U.K. has grown from very much a ‘cottage industry’ to one of the fastest growing sectors in not just retail but the whole economy,” said UKVIA Director General John Dunne in a statement.

“More people than ever are vaping, and by all measures, this is a true British success story, creating employment and wealth, generating precious revenue for the government through taxation while at the same time saving the NHS more than £300 million a year through people switching from smoking to vaping.”

November 29, 2022

New Date for UKVIA Forum and Dinner

The UKVIA Vaping Industry Forum and Celebration Dinner will now take place on Friday, Nov. 18 at the QEII Centre in Westminster, London. The event had been canceled on Sept. 9, the day after the queen’s passing.

The agenda remains the same, and the UKVIA expects some additional speakers to be part of the lineup.

“We have had a fantastic response since the event was canceled, and we are looking to accommodate some additional speakers in our program,” said UKVIA Director General John Dunne in a statement. “We would like to thank delegates, sponsors, exhibitors and dinner guests for their patience, and we look forward to seeing everyone in November at what will be the biggest B2B event in the U.K. vaping calendar.

“The occasion will be particularly poignant as the original planned forum and dinner came the day after the announcement of the queen’s death. The event will allow us to pay tribute to Britain’s longest reigning monarch.”

While the original event had been at near full capacity, more tickets for the conference and dinner have now been released.

October 5, 2022

Scots Urged to Rethink Vape Ad Restrictions

The U.K. Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) has called on the Scottish government to reconsider its proposal to tighten advertising restrictions on vaping.

The call follows the publication of the outcomes of the government’s consultation on the plan. According to the UKVIA, the feedback from the consultation, which involved the input of individuals, local authorities, public health organizations and the vaping community, clearly shows that there is no majority of support for the recommendations put forward by the government, instead dividing opinions and leaving more questions than answers on the future of vaping regulations.

At the time the consultation went live, the UKVIA warned that the Scottish government’s proposals could derail the country’s 2034 smoke-free ambitions and that its stance is “in denial of the facts,” creating a significant risk to the health of people of Scotland looking to quit smoking as well as more uncertainty around vaping caused by misinformation.”

The proposals that were put forward only sought to further conflate vaping with combustible tobacco products by aligning advertising and promotion rules to existing restrictions on tobacco products.

John Dunne, director general, UKVIA

The UKVIA’s position was echoed by the Scottish Grocer’s Federation, which stated that the Scottish government’s move was unjustified and failed to appreciate the potential benefits of vaping products.

Many proposals put forward by the government generated 50-50 responses, and a number resulted in more respondents disagreeing than agreeing with them. These included proposals to ban in-store promotional displays, to make free distribution and nominal pricing of vaping products an offense and to make sponsorship agreements in respect to vaping products an offense. A higher proportion of respondents indicated that the proposed policy would have a negative impact on individuals (50.5 percent who felt it would versus 36.9 percent who didn’t) and on those with socioeconomic disadvantages (48.6 percent versus 25.5 percent).

“The proposals that were put forward only sought to further conflate vaping with combustible tobacco products by aligning advertising and promotion rules to existing restrictions on tobacco products,” said John Dunne, director general of the UKVIA, in a statment.

“Only by working with others, following the evidence and listening to people’s testimonies can we succeed in the goal of tobacco harm reduction.

October 5, 2022

UKVIA Welcomes Vaping Evidence Review

The U.K. Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) welcomed the first vaping evidence review published by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID).

The latest vaping review builds on evidence collected by its predecessor, Public Health England (PHE), and further highlights the role that vaping can play in improving public health.

“It’s good to see that the experts involved in this latest review stand by the estimates that vaping is ‘at least 95 percent less harmful’ than combustible tobacco and that it ‘poses only a small fraction of the risks of smoking,’” said UKVIA Director General John Dunne in a statement.

“This figure was first revealed by the then PHE in 2015 in what was at the time described as a landmark review, and the statement that vaping is substantially less harmful than smoking on the back of this statistic continues to be cited by all the leading public health organizations in the U.K. today.

“Particularly welcoming is the evidence that indicates significantly lower relative exposure from vaping compared to smoking in biomarkers that are associated with the risk of cancer, respiratory conditions, cardiovascular conditions and other health conditions’ which lead to tens of thousands of deaths every year, not to mention the high levels of those suffering from debilitating smoking-related illnesses.”

Dunne also welcomed the review’s focus on youth vaping, which he said is currently at unacceptable levels.

“Our own Youth Access Prevention taskforce is working tirelessly with Trading Standards, the retail sector and brand owners to prevent youth access to vaping. We have recently sent the Department for Health and Social Care a number of recommendations, which are designed to cut the sale of vapes to minors off at the source. These include the introduction of a retail licensing or approved retailer and distributor scheme; increased penalties of at least £10,000 per instance for traders who flout U.K. law; and the introduction of a national test purchasing scheme to ensure all retail operations are performing to high standards when it comes to preventing youth access to e-cigarettes.”

October 4, 2022

Dunne: Illicit Vapes a Big Problem in U.K.

Up to 60 percent of disposable vapor products sold in the U.K. are illicit, according to the U.K. Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA).

Speaking to the U.K. trade publication Convenience Store, UKVIA Director General John Dunne estimated that between 40 percent and 60 percent of disposable vapes currently on sale in the country were either noncompliant with domestic laws or counterfeit.

“Based on the amount of [illicit] products I see in the marketplace, the number of reports of illicit sales and what’s being reported to trading standards, I believe it’s that big and a huge concern,” he explained. “I probably receive between 200 [reports] and 400 reports of illegal sellers in the U.K. every month.”

Dunne warned that noncompliance among retailers could destroy a category with huge potential. “This is a market that has huge growth potential for retailers, if it’s allowed [to] grow in a responsible manner, but having a short-term view and ignoring compliance is going to have a detrimental effect. And potentially lead to things like the category being banned, flavor bans or plain packaging.”

He also called for more action on retailers found to be selling vaping products to those under the age of 18.

August 25, 2022

Underage Vaping Nearly Doubles in U.K.

Current vaping among U.K. children aged 11-17 was up from 4 percent in 2020 to 7 percent in 2022, according to the annual YouGov youth survey for Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) carried out in March and published on July 7. The proportion of children who admit ever having tried vaping has also risen from 14 percent in 2020 to 16 percent in 2022.

Disposable e-cigarettes are now the most used product among current vapers, up more than seven-fold from 7 percent in 2020 and 8 percent in 2021, to 52 percent in 2022. Elf Bar and Geek Bar are overwhelmingly the most popular, with only 30 percent of current users having tried any other brands.

Over the past year there has been growing concern about the increasing popularity of disposable vapes with young people, but this is the first time national figures have been available to show the scale of the change. ASH said the increase in vaping shown by the survey is a cause for concern, and needs close monitoring. However, 92 percent of under 18s who’ve never smoked, have also never vaped, the organization pointed out—and only 2 percent have vaped more frequently than once or twice.

“Just to give it a try” is still the most common reason given by never smokers for using an e-cigarette (65 percent). For young smokers the most common reason for using an e-cigarette was “because I like the flavors” (21 percent) followed by “I enjoy the experience” (18 percent) then “just to give it a try” (15 percent), but they also said, “because I’m trying to quit smoking” (11 percent) or “I use them instead of smoking” (9 percent). Fruit flavors remain the most popular (57 percent).

Vaping behavior is strongly age related, with 10 percent of 11-15 year olds ever having tried vaping, compared to 29 percent of 16 and 17 year olds (the figures for those currently vaping are 4 percent and 14 percent respectively). And while underage vaping has risen, underage smoking is lower than it was in 2020 (14 percent in 2022 compared to 16 percent in 2020).

For the first time this year the survey asked about awareness of promotion of e-cigarettes. Over half (56 percent) of 11-17 year olds reported being aware of e-cigarette promotion, most frequently in shops, or online, with awareness highest amongst those who’d ever vaped (72 percent). Tik Tok was the most frequently cited source of online promotion (45 percent) followed by Instagram (31 percent).

In response to the survey results, the U.K. Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) called for a range of get-tough measures to crack down on unscrupulous retailers who sell vapes to young people.

“The UKVIA understands the need for the right balance between supporting adult smokers to quit without encouraging take up amongst under-18s and ‘never-smokers,’” said UKVIA’s Director General John Dunne in a statement.

In a letter to the Department for Health and Social Care, the UKVIA proposed a set of recommendations to come down hard on those who sell vapes to minors while maintaining vaping’s critical role for helping smokers to quit, including fines of £10,000 ($11,897) and a national retail licensing scheme.

July 12, 2022

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