Vape industry responds to disposable vape ban announcement

The Independent British Vape Trade Association (IBVTA), the leading independent trade association for the UK vaping industry, welcomes clarity on the single use vapes ban first mooted by the previous Government. However it continues to reiterate concerns about unintended consequences, and any future regulations that may follow.

Much of the political and media narrative around the policy intent continues to concern reducing youth access to vapes. It must be noted that it is already illegal to sell vapes to anyone under 18, and proxy purchases are also banned.  We hope the assumption that a ban on single use vapes will effectively remove them from circulation is justified, given the scale of the existing illicit market. Increased resources for national and local enforcement should be actioned immediately, not just when the ban comes into force.

Reputable businesses have spent considerable sums of money in meeting their waste and recycling obligations, and on encouraging substitution with less environmentally damaging products. However, there is now an onus on Government for increased enforcement to combat illicit products. This will not only ensure consumer safety, but also show a commitment to clear and compelling messaging that drives greater consumer behaviour change until the ban comes into force in June 2025.

Chair of the IBVTA, Marcus Saxton said:

“Single-use vapes, importantly, offer a level of convenience in use that has brought a large number of adult consumers from tobacco smoking to a less harmful alternative. The vape industry stands ready to work with government to ensure businesses can meet their obligations in time for the deadline announced today. The illicit trade in single use vapes has been the driver of both increased access by young people, and negative media headlines. We are therefore disappointed that today’s announcement does not include an importation ban.

“Banning an entire category of vapes is likely to fuel public misperceptions about the relative safety of vaping to smoking. Adults using single use disposable vapes outnumber those that are under 18 by several times. Consequently there needs to be clear messaging from government to encourage those adults not to simply revert to smoking.

“There has been some commentary and media attention wrongly accusing producers who develop refillable and rechargeable products of somehow “getting around a loophole in the regulations”. These accusations have no foundation, as post-ban, adult consumers will need as many refillable and rechargeable product options as possible.”