Forum Explores New Landscape

The annual UKVIA Forum attracts C-suite executives from the global vaping sector, retail leaders, parliamentarians, regulators, environmental and public health professionals, academics, think tanks and investors to name just a few.

The conference followed hot on the heels of confirmation that disposable vapes will be banned from June 2025, the announcement of a Vaping Products Duty coming into force from October 2026, and the unveiling of Labour’s Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which notably includes powers to introduce a licensing scheme for vape retailers – all of which were covered during the UKVIA Forum.

UKVIA Director General John Dunne said: “The library of evidence which supports vaping as an instrumental tool in eradicating smoking is only growing – including new Freedom of Information data from Stop Smoking Services which shows the widespread use of flavoured vaping products to help adults kick the habit.

“However, misperceptions about the quitting tool have reached an all-time high, Trading Standards is crying out for more resources to tackle underage and illegal vape sales and there is policy being put forward which, if not carefully considered, risks undermining the public heath potential of vaping and could push a smokefree Britain even further out of reach.

“This event comes at a time of unprecedented change, where we have much to celebrate, many challenges ahead and, as our forum theme reflects, a new policy landscape to navigate.”

The event featured a packed programme of timely panel discussions including ‘Politics in the Spotlight’, ‘Closing the Trust Gap’, ‘Adding Consumers to the Conversation’, and ‘The Balancing Act’, which explored the best route to further unlock vaping’s potential to improve harm reduction while also protecting young people.

Also included was a panel discussion on ‘Killing the black market, not the consumers’, which looked at how interventions such as a vape retailer and distributor licensing scheme could put a stop to rogue traders for good and bring about a new age of responsibility and accountability for the sector.

Dunne added: “The industry has long been calling for stronger action against the unscrupulous sellers who flout the law and put young people, consumers and legitimate businesses at risk, and we were delighted to see the inclusion of licensing in the new government’s Tobacco and Vapes Bill.

“Earlier this year, the UKVIA was involved in the development of a vape retailer and distributor licensing framework which would prevent inappropriate businesses – including sweet shops – from ever selling these products, would bring into force stronger penalties for those breaking the rules and would generate upwards of £50 million per year in self-sustaining funding which could be used to empower Trading Standards.”

This year’s UKVIA Forum also featured a keynote on the ‘new era of enforcement’ from Kate Pike, Lead Officer for Vaping with the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI), as well as a Q&A with Orla Menzies, the Vaping Policy Lead for HMRC and – for the first time – an onstage showcase where five companies discussed how they are adapting their product offerings and leading on innovation across the sector.

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.