Responding to the ban on disposables coming into force, John Dunne, Director General of the UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA), said: “We’ve always maintained that bans are not the answer to the issues linked to the vaping industry, but enforcement of the laws that are already in place to protect children and the environment.
“Disposables have played a huge role in reducing smoking levels amongst adults to record low levels, a fact acknowledged by the Office of National Statistics. It’s why we are seeing stockpiling in the lead up to the ban and hearing that significant numbers of disposable users will seek them out post the ban despite it being illegal for retailers to sell them.
“Therefore, we are now extremely concerned about the consequences of this ban, including vapers returning to smoking and the growth in the sale of black market products, which pose a significant risk to those buying them. One study has estimated that some 1 million vapers could return to smoking as a result of the ban which would be a public health disaster.
“Our ongoing concern with regards to illicit vapes and youth vaping is the reason why we, as an industry, have developed a proposal for a vape retailer and distributor licensing scheme, which we are pleased to see the government is actively considering as part of the Tobacco & Vapes Bill.
“Despite the ban, the industry has once again demonstrated its agility and innovative capability to bring in new product lines and are to be commended as to how swiftly they have moved to make the transition as seamless as possible.
“However, if you’re a current vaper who is now thinking about going back to smoking due to the ban, please think very hard about your decision as this would be the worst step to take health-wise. Never forget all the hard effort you put in to wean yourself off conventional cigarettes using vapes.
“Instead take advice and consider the new refillable and pre-filled pod vapes that more manufacturers are bringing to the market with an emphasis on ease-of use, so the experience goes a long way to matching the convenience of disposables.”