Vaping advocacy group We Vape warned that proposed UK restrictions on the packaging, appearance, and display of vaping products could cost retailers, wholesalers, and manufacturers more than £330 million while providing no proven social benefit, according to Asian Trader. Citing the government’s impact assessment, the group said the measures — including plain packaging, restrictions on device colors and flavor names, and requirements to keep vaping products out of sight in stores — would result in an estimated £328 million in lost profits and £2.8 million in compliance costs for approximately 76,000 retailers. We Vape also criticized the government’s planned £100,000 enforcement budget as inadequate and argued that stronger enforcement of existing underage sales laws would be more effective than imposing additional regulatory burdens on legitimate businesses.
Tag: We Vape
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Campaigners Accuse WHO of ‘Dangerous Misinformation’ on Nicotine Pouches
Consumer and harm-reduction advocates have criticized the World Health Organization over its latest report on nicotine pouches, arguing it fails to clearly distinguish between combustible cigarettes and smoke-free nicotine products and risks discouraging smokers from switching to lower-risk alternatives. The WHO raised concerns about youth-oriented marketing, flavors, and discreet-use messaging while calling for tighter controls, and, for example, criticized the marketing slogan “no smoke, no smell, no hassle.” Campaigners such as Considerate Pouchers UK and We Vape, however, said WHO is disseminating dangerous misinformation, as the slogan is factually accurate and reflects relative risk differences.
“Nicotine pouches do not produce smoke or smell, and pretending otherwise is scientifically absurd,” said Richard Crosby, director of Considerate Pouchers UK, describing the report as part of a “broad, aggressive anti-nicotine ideology.”
Academics from University College London and the University of East Anglia were cited as saying that while youth safeguards are necessary, nicotine pouches are likely far less harmful than cigarettes and could have a role in harm reduction. The groups also pointed to Sweden’s low smoking rates and the UK’s new regulatory framework under the Tobacco and Vapes Act as examples of risk-proportionate approaches that restrict youth access while preserving adult alternatives.
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UK Government Acknowledges Nicotine Pouches as Harm Reduction Tool
The UK government confirmed that nicotine pouches are likely lower-risk alternatives to smoking, recognizing them as a distinct product category under the upcoming Tobacco and Vapes Bill. In response to campaigners advocating for a 20 mg nicotine strength cap, officials emphasized that any future regulations will be evidence-based and proportionate, aiming to protect public health while avoiding rules that could push adults back to smoking. Sales to under-18s will remain illegal, and the Department of Health and Social Care highlighted concerns about youth uptake, particularly among young men.
Campaign groups, including 20isPlenty, We Vape, and Considerate Pouchers, welcomed the acknowledgment, noting that government recognition of nicotine pouches’ lower risk and separate status from cigarettes marks a major concession. Officials also confirmed that upcoming regulations on flavors, ingredients, packaging, and display will be subject to consultation, allowing stakeholders to advocate for measures that preserve adult access while limiting youth appeal.
Further research into nicotine products and vaping has been commissioned, including a “living evidence map” by the National Institute for Health and Care Research to inform policy development. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill, currently awaiting report stage and third reading in the House of Lords, will also implement the government’s “smoke-free generation” plan, banning tobacco sales for anyone born on or after January 1, 2009, starting in 2027.