Delegates told that vaping is now part of the healthcare sector by ‘helping to save lives and reduce harm’.
“With our most comprehensive conference agenda, a record number of delegates and the publication of the Economic Impact Assessment, this was undoubtedly our biggest and best Forum to date.” – John Dunne, Director General, UKVIA
Many challenges that the UK’s vaping industry must urgently address were discussed at the recent UK Vaping Industry Forum in Westminster, London.
Hot topics such as youth vaping, environmental concerns about disposables and how the industry should best tackle counterfeit and illegal products were all debated in depth.
More than 400 delegates and guests attended the combined UKVIA Forum 2022, Vaping Celebration Dinner and Industry Recognition Awards evening at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre.
The Forum – by far the biggest and most comprehensive conference to date – was told that the UK’s vaping industry should be proud of its many successes but must work hard to ensure the positive momentum continues.
Adam Afriyie MP, Vice-Chair of the APPG for Vaping, said the industry had a key role to play in helping the government meet its 2030 smoke-free ambitions and in seeing the related Khan Review implemented.
Virtuous
The Conservative MP for Windsor told the UKVIA Forum: “With engagement, responsibility and with proper communication with regulators, parliamentarians and ministers, I really think that we can get this Khan Review implemented.
“Everyone in this room associated with the vaping Industry should feel proud of yourselves. You’re part of healthcare now and you are doing a virtuous thing by helping to save lives and reduce harm.”
Addressing the growing issue of youth vaping, he told the Forum: “We have five children in our family and I would be absolutely devastated if one of them took up smoking.
“I’d be irritated but not devastated if, trying to be cool, they took up vaping. It’s not a good thing. It’s a really bad thing but let’s be practical and realistic. It’s still far, far better, that young people do not smoke and take up alternatives which are far safer than it is for them to smoke.”
Doug Mutter, Manufacturing & Compliance Director at Forum headline sponsor VPZ, said the industry needed to collectively drive engagement to educate politicians and stakeholders about how vaping can be used to help the government fulfil its smoke-free 2030 target.
Vaping revolution
He said: “There is a danger that we are sleepwalking into another health pandemic with millions of smokers consigned to a premature death.
“Vaping can help regain this lost momentum. It has risen rapidly over a decade to reach record levels in Great Britain with an estimated 4.3m people who are regular vapers.
“That is up from 800,000 from a decade ago in what can only be described as a vaping revolution for transforming the health and wealth of smokers across the country.”
The UKVIA also commissioned the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) to produce the first ever report on the economic contribution generated by the vape industry on a national and regional level.
The findings of the in-depth analysis were unveiled at the Forum and highlights of the Economic Impact Assessment included:
- As record numbers of smokers switched to vaping, the industry’s aggregate turnover was valued at £2.8bn last year
- Almost 18,000 full time equivalent jobs in retail, manufacturing and the wider supply chain are supported by the sector
- Smokers switching to vaping are estimated to have resulted in a cost saving to the NHS of over £300m in 2019 alone and
- The UK vape industry contributed revenues of £310m to the Exchequer through taxation in 2021.
John Dunne, Director General of the UKVIA said: “With our most comprehensive conference agenda, a record number of delegates and the publication of the Economic Impact Report, this was undoubtedly our biggest and best Forum to date.
“I want to thank everyone who worked so hard behind the scenes to make it possible including our sponsors, delegates, speakers and debate panels.
“This Forum is not afraid to tackle the really big issues facing the vaping industry and debate how we move forward to capitalise on all the good work we have done to date.
“We are not just an industry talking shop and it was great to hear from delegates and speakers from both sides of the fence and with different viewpoints on many issues.
“It was also a great testament to the growing importance of the Forum that we attracted MPs, government departmental advisors, local government representatives, members of trading standards and a senior policy advisor from DEFRA.”
ENDS