UKVIA Responds to Disposables News

Industry body UKVIA contends 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.

John Dunne, Director General of the UKVIA, said: “We recognise 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 penalise those adult smokers that want to give up by using vapes, which have been evidenced to be the most effective method in quitting cigarettes.

“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.

“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.”

Added Dunne: “It’s why we have campaigned for a vape retailer and distributor licensing scheme. To qualify for a licence, 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 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 £50m – this will be used to fund the level of enforcement that is required.”

Dave Cross

Journalist at POTV

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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.