VPZ's Action Call
VPZ, the UK’s largest vaping retailer, has called for a national vaping policy to help the Scottish Government reach its 2034 smoke-free ambitions
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by Dave Cross
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VPZ says the current challenge facing the industry is imported, unregulated, disposable vaping products becoming readily available from local convenience stores and supermarkets with no regulation or controls.
Doug Mutter, VPZ Director, said: “It is vital that we have tighter controls and licensing for selling vaping products.
“We are urging the Scottish Government to act now and implement measures where flavoured products can only be sold from specialist licensed vaping stores, where a challenge 25 policy is in place and consultation is aimed towards adult smokers and vapers.”
In the UK, vaping products containing nicotine must be registered by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
However, recent reports have highlighted how imported, unregulated, disposable vaping products are being sold throughout the UK with no controls or customer education, which is threatening a once in a lifetime public health opportunity.
Doug Mutter added: “Vaping has made a significant impact in helping increasing numbers of people in the UK quit smoking and it has also been supported by authoritative public health bodies, backing vaping as an effective treatment for tobacco dependency and recommends that it should be included and encouraged in all treatment pathways.
“The US vaping market has been destroyed by a number of factors including a lack of regulation, and this is now a serious threat for the UK that will almost certainly damage the huge progress of vaping in transforming the health of the nation and helping the country meet its smoke free targets.
“It’s now vital that we have a strong collaboration with the Trading Standards, the MHRA, Border Force, the HMRC, the NHS and the Scottish Government to tackle this problem.
“If we are to meet our ambitions of working towards a smoke-free generation, we now need to be bold and progressive approach where there is also advertising to promote and educate on the health benefits of vaping.”
Researchers at King’s College London found vaping to be a more effective treatment than nicotine replacement therapy for stopping smoking.
A further report from the Royal College of Physicians Tobacco Advisory Group backs vaping as an effective treatment for tobacco dependency and recommends that it should be included and encouraged in all treatment pathways. The report also found that the long-term impact of vaping is 95 per cent less harmful than smoking cigarettes.
A recent government-commissioned review by Dr Javed Khan outlined recommendations to making smoking obsolete and creating a smoke-free generation. The report recommended vaping as-a-way to quit smoking and for consumers to receive accurate information on the benefits of switching.
VPZ kicked off Stoptober with an event at its Sauchiehall Street store in Glasgow City centre using interactive carbon monoxide breath tests to give the general public an insight into their health and reveal the impact that smoking was making on their body.
The event also included an introduction to their Vape Clinic service, a dedicated, one-to-one consultation with VPZ’s vaping specialists to help smokers quit.
VPZ specialists are trained and have expert knowledge, engaging with smokers to educate them on the health and financial benefits of switching to vaping.
To date, Edinburgh-based VPZ says it has already helped over 700k smokers in the UK quit since it was established in 2012.
The retailer recently launched a mobile vape clinic with celebrity ambassador Neil ‘Razor’ Ruddock, taking it on the road throughout the UK to help more people quit smoking and petitioned the UK Government to ban smoking and lead the way for a progressive strategy for vaping to transform the health of the nation.
Dave Cross
Journalist at POTVDave is a freelance writer; with articles on music, motorbikes, football, pop-science, vaping and tobacco harm reduction in Sounds, Melody Maker, UBG, AWoL, Bike, When Saturday Comes, Vape News Magazine, and syndicated across the Johnston Press group. He was published in an anthology of “Greatest Football Writing”, but still believes this was a mistake. Dave contributes sketches to comedy shows and used to co-host a radio sketch show. He’s worked with numerous start-ups to develop content for their websites.
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