UKVIA Vaping Industry Forum

Explaining the title of the event, “The Changing Vaping Environment - Succeeding in a New Policy Landscape”, the UK Vaping Industry Association says that the industry at large is “currently facing more uncertainty than any time since regulations began”.

The trade body warns that our politicians are currently seeking “unprecedented powers to restrict flavours, retail displays and product packaging.” Apart from mainly the more extreme elements of the Conservative Party, support for vaping and tobacco harm reduction vanished during the dying days of Rishi Sunak’s government.

Disposable/single use vapes will be banned across the United Kingdom from next April and the plans to place an ill-considered tiered tax on eliquids is still due to take place. Labour has not said if they would change the patently stupid tier structure where the most effective juices would end up costing the most.

Further changes are in the pipeline as the new Labour Government has committed to revive the Tobacco and Vapes Bill. Although it collapsed when Rishi Sunak called the General Election, it featured as 1 of 40 pieces of proposed new legislation announced in the King’s Speech at the opening of Parliament.

The UK Vaping Industry Association says that this year’s forum’s theme reflects “what needs to be done against a backdrop of unprecedented regulatory change.”

It continues: “The vape sector has helped bring down smoking rates to a record low with affordable, technologically-advanced products which deliver nicotine to smokers in a far more appealing way than patches or gum ever can.

“This year we are battling for the future of our industry so that we can continue to give adult smokers a reduced risk product which has only a fraction of the risks of cigarettes. We also want a vape licensing scheme which would come down hard on those who sell to children and provide £50m-a-year to fund an unprecedented nationwide Trading Standards enforcement action.

“With the potential for so much regulatory change in the UK, the industry must set out a clear strategy to promote evidence-based regulatory change which will allow adult smokers access to a full range of reduced-risk vaping products while also protecting under-18s from an age-gated product.”

Tickets

• Tickets for the annual UKVIA Forum, “The Changing Vaping Environment - Succeeding in a New Policy Landscape” available here - https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ukvia-vaping-industry-forum-2024-tickets-923505599107?aff=oddtdtcreator
• Promotions pack for further details and sponsorship opportunities - https://ukvia.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Forum-2024-Promotions-Pack-Marriott-Hotel-V6.pdf

Date and time

• Friday, November 15 · 8:45am - 7:30pm GMT
• London Marriott Hotel Regents Park, 128 King Henry's Road, London NW3 3ST

Dave Cross

Journalist at POTV

View Articles

Dave 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.