United Kingdom - Tobacco Reporter

Nicotine Pouch Use in Great Britain at 1%

Recent research from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience at King’s College London, in collaboration with Action on Smoking and Health, indicates that approximately 1% of both adults (aged 18 and over) and youths (aged 11-17) in Great Britain currently use nicotine pouches. The study also reveals that the lifetime usage of these pouches has doubled over the past four years, reaching 5.4%.

Nicotine pouches, which are placed between the lip and gum to release nicotine without involving tobacco combustion, have been available in the UK market since 2019. Their use is predominantly observed among younger and middle-aged men who have a history of smoking and currently use other nicotine products. Despite their growing popularity, the overall prevalence of nicotine pouch use remains relatively low.

The UK government is considering regulatory measures to address the increasing use of nicotine pouches, especially among youths. Health campaigners have called for a ban on the sale of these products to individuals under 18, highlighting concerns about potential health risks and the lack of age restrictions.

January 11, 2025

Tesco Reports Record-Breaking Christmas Sales Amid Price Cuts

Tesco, the UK’s largest retailer, delivered its “biggest ever” Christmas performance by lowering festive prices and attracting shoppers from competitors. Tesco’s wholesaler division, Booker, faced challenges with a 2.6% decline in Q3 sales, but improved during Christmas with a 1.4% rise, despite weaknesses in tobacco sales and the fast-food market serviced by Best Food Logistics.

While Christmas sales were strong, Tesco’s like-for-like growth over the broader third quarter was slower, with a 2.8% increase.

Looking ahead, Tesco expects full-year adjusted group operating profits to reach £2.9 billion (US$ 3.57bn).

January 10, 2025

Lawmakers Urged to Reject Generational Ban

Campaigners are urging British lawmakers to reject plans to ban the sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products to future generations of adults.

Ahead of the second reading of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill on Nov. 26, the smokers’ rights group Forest says the proposal is “unnecessarily divisive” and is not supported by the majority of the public.

According to a recent poll commissioned by Forest and conducted by Yonder Consulting, 60 percent of respondents said that if people are allowed to drive a car, join the army, purchase alcohol, and vote at 18, they should also be allowed to buy cigarettes and other tobacco products.

Fewer than a third (31 percent) said they should not be allowed to purchase tobacco when legally an adult, while 9 percent said, “don’t know.”

MPs need to think very carefully about the unintended consequences of raising the legal age of sale of tobacco.

Simon Clark, director, Forest

“A generational ban on the sale of tobacco is unnecessarily divisive because it will create a two-tier society in which some adults have different rights to others,” said Forest Director Simon Clark.

“Eventually it will create the absurd situation whereby a 40-year-old can purchase cigarettes and other tobacco products, but someone born a few days later could be denied the same right.

“MPs need to think very carefully about the unintended consequences of raising the legal age of sale of tobacco.

“Denying future generations of adults the right to buy cigarettes and other tobacco products legally won’t stop people smoking.

“Creeping prohibition will simply drive the sale of tobacco underground and into the hands of criminal gangs and illicit traders.”

November 25, 2024

U.K. Tobacco and Vapes Bill Introduced

The U.K. government will introduce its Tobacco and Vapes Bill in Parliament today. The legislation involves some of the world’s strictest anti-smoking rules, including a measure banning younger people from smoking. However, the government abandoned plans for a ban on smoking outside pubs and cafes after concerns were raised about the impact on the hospitality industry.

The proposed legislation gives the government power to ban smoking outside specific outdoor spaces such as children’s playgrounds, schools and hospitals. But the plans will be subject to consultation.

The previous government had announced similar measures to create the first smoke-free generation. However, those plans failed to become law before the general election in the summer when the party lost power.

The new legislation ensures that anyone aged 15 this year, or younger, will be banned from buying cigarettes and aims to make vapes less appealing to children.

“This government is taking bold action to create the first smoke-free generation, clamp down on kids getting hooked on nicotine through vapes, and protect children and vulnerable people from the harms of secondhand smoke,” said Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting in a statement.

Britain banned smoking in almost all enclosed public spaces, including bars and workplaces, in 2007.

Cancer Research U.K. said this led to an estimated 1.9 million fewer smokers, and research in the British Medical Journal estimated there were 1,200 fewer hospital admissions for heart attacks the following year.

Creating a two-tier society in which some adults are permitted to buy tobacco and others aren’t discriminates against younger adults.

Simon Clark, director, Forest

While welcoming the decision to drop a proposed ban on smoking outside pubs and other other hospitality venues, smokers’ lobby group Forest said it was concerned by other measures in the bill.

“Banning smoking outside hospitals is heartless and cruel,” said Forest Director Simon Clark. “Smoking in the open air poses no risk to nonsmokers, including children, but it can be a comfort to patients, visitors and staff who smoke and want a quiet stress-free moment.”

Meanwhile, increasing the age of sale by one year every year, as proposed on the generational tobacco ban part of the bill, would infantilize future generations of adults, according to Forest.

“If you can buy alcohol, drive a car, join the army and vote at 18, you should also be allowed to purchase tobacco,” said Clark.

“Creating a two-tier society in which some adults are permitted to buy tobacco and others aren’t discriminates against younger adults.

“It will cause huge confusion in shops and could lead to even more retail crime.

“It will also drive younger adults to the black market and into the arms of criminal gangs.”

November 5, 2024

U.K. Announces Cigarette and Vape Tax Hikes

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

N. Ireland: Eight Out of 10 Vapers Never Age-Verified

Around 80 percent of vapers say they have never been asked for age verification in Northern Ireland, reports The Irish News, citing new research. The share is the highest in the U.K., where on average 45 percent of surveyed vapers said they had never been asked to prove their age.

Belfast, Norwich and Plymouth are the top cities that fail to ask vapers for ID during purchase while Newcastle, Southampton and Birmingham ask the most. The survey of 1,000 e-cigarette users also showed that females are asked for age verification more frequently than males.

Supermarkets performed the worst, with 48 percent of respondents in the U.K. stating that they have never been asked to prove their age when purchasing a vape in such venues.

The U.K. Tobacco and Vapes Bill aims to crack down on underage sales. Under the legislation, retailers risk fines of up to £2,500 if found to have sold vapes to minors.

“As the Tobacco and Vapes Bill rolls out, it is vital that retailers take more responsibility to ensure vaping products do not end up in the hands of children,” said David Phillips from Vape Superstore, which commissioned the survey.

“Our survey shows that, on the whole, e-cigarette users support stricter age verification, which suggests everyone believes that safeguarding children during this process is a top priority.

“E-cigarettes are meant to help aid adult smokers quit, not encourage children to start nicotine-replacement therapy.”

October 27, 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

UK Disposable Vape Ban Begins in June

The sale of single-use vapes will be banned in England from June next year, the British government said on Thursday, seeking to crack down on the environmental harm and rising usage levels among children.

Vaping has grown rapidly in Britain in the last decade, with nearly one in 10 people buying and using the products, according to the government.

Supporters say vapes can help people give up smoking, but health authorities are concerned that their colorful designs and fruity flavors are designed to attract children, Reuters reports.

It is illegal to sell nicotine-containing e-cigarettes to anyone under the age of 18.

The plan to ban disposable vapes was initially set out by the previous Conservative government in January, alongside a move to ban anyone aged 15 and under from buying cigarettes – some of the strictest anti-smoking rules in the world.

The Labour government also plans to introduce a full smoking bill as part of what it called “the biggest public health intervention in a generation” to protect young people from becoming hooked on nicotine.

“Banning disposable vapes will not only protect the environment but importantly reduce the appeal of vapes to children and keep them out of the hands of vulnerable young people,” said Minister for Public Health and Prevention Andrew Gwynne.

October 24, 2024

UK Urged to Drop Proposed Vape Tax Hike

A plan to hike the tax on vapes in the U.K. risks undermining the country’s efforts to reduce smoking rates and would increase smoking-related death and disease, according to tobacco harm reduction advocates.

The U.K. chancellor is reportedly considering the tax increase in the state budget this month. But harm reduction specialists say any rise could drive people who smoke back to far more dangerous cigarettes.

“Vapes are proven to be 95 percent less harmful than combustible cigarettes and are helping millions of people who smoke worldwide transition to a safer option,” says Delon Human, leader of Smoke Free Sweden.

“Both Sweden and New Zealand have dramatically reduced their smoking rates in large part due to the availability and accessibility of alternative nicotine products like vapes. As a result, both countries are now on the verge of being declared smoke-free and are reaping the subsequent public health dividend.

“Any policy that limits access to these alternatives—whether through taxation or other barriers—threatens to reverse such progress.”

Sweden is poised to be the first country to become smoke-free as a result of its progressive policy approach, which includes lowering taxes on reduced-risk products while increasing taxes on more harmful cigarettes.

Compared to the rest of the European Union, Sweden has 44 percent fewer smoking-related deaths, a 41 percent lower cancer rate and 38 percent fewer deaths attributable to any cancer, notes Smoke Free Sweden

“At Smoke Free Sweden, we advocate for sensible regulations that protect adult access to safer alternatives while discouraging underage uptake,” Human said. “This includes restrictions on youth-oriented packaging and clear communication about the risks of nicotine.

“However, excessive taxation of harm reduction products is a step in the wrong direction. Rather than penalizing vapers, governments should focus on creating an environment where adults have easy access to safer alternatives and are supported in their efforts to quit smoking.

“We urge the U.K. government to reconsider this proposed tax increase and to look toward evidence-based policies that have been successful in Sweden and other progressive nations. The world now has the tools to create a healthier, smoke-free future. We must not sacrifice those tools, which are already helping millions of people quit smoking for good.”

October 22, 2024

U.K. Urged to Invest in Smoke-free Future

More than 200 leading doctors, professional bodies and charities are urging the U.K. Chancellor to use the budget on Oct. 30 as an opportunity to invest in creating a smoke-free U..K as quickly as possible, and make the tobacco industry pay.

In an open letter published by The BMJ on Oct. 16, they warn that unless smoking is addressed, there is no prospect of delivering on Labour’s manifesto commitment to halve the gap in healthy life expectancy between the richest and poorest regions.

According to the authors, the rationale for investing to end the tobacco “epidemic” could not be stronger. The annual cost of smoking to individuals, public services and the wider UK economy is £93 billion ($121.43 billion), while the direct cost of smoking to the U.K. public finances in 2023 was £21.9 billion, with a net cost of £13.5 billion.

The letter writers acknowledge that there are acute constraints on spending, but point out that smoking cessation treatment saves £2.37 for every £1 invested, while improving health improves economic productivity.

What’s more, introducing a “polluter pays” levy on tobacco manufacturers “could raise £700 million a year for vital tobacco control activity in a way that would prevent companies from simply passing the cost on to consumers, according to the authors.”

“It is a scandal that smoking continues to have such a devastating impact on the nation’s health, being linked to 15,000 heart disease deaths in the U.K. each year. Besides the grief and pain each death causes countless families, ill health caused by smoking also puts a strain on the NHS and our economy,” said Charmaine Griffiths, CEO of the British Heart Foundation, in a statement.

“The status quo is unacceptable, and we need a bold and far-reaching package of measures to consign smoking to history.”

October 19, 2024

Tag: United Kingdom