John Dunne, Director General, UKVIA said, “The UKVIA agrees that stronger measures are needed to cut off the supply of youth vaping and illicit products, however, actions laid out in this report would sooner supercharge the black market and push the nation’s smokefree ambitions further out of reach by deterring adult smokers from making the switch and driving current vapers into the hands of underground sellers or back to cigarettes.
“The BMA undersells the quitting power of vapes when it says the reduced risk alternative ‘can be useful in helping some people to stop smoking’. The latest data from leading public health charity Action on Smoking and Health UK found more than half of ex-smokers in Great Britain who quit in the past five years used a vape in their last attempt – ASH also reports that current and ever use of vapes amongst 11-17-year-olds has decreased since last year.
“A ban on all non-tobacco flavours, as advocated by the BMA, would be counter-productive, with the Royal College of Physicians recently warning flavours are an ‘integral part’ of the effectiveness of vaping as a quit aid – this is also reinforced by the findings of a Freedom of Information investigation conducted by the UKVIA. The soon-to-be-released data reveals that, of 31 surveyed stop smoking services across England, more than nine in ten provide flavoured vaping products as a quitting tool and that fruit options were most often recorded as, or amongst, the most popular choices for adult smokers.
“The industry does recognise that action should be taken to prevent youth appealing products from ever making it to the shelves and has long campaigned for the government to adopt a balanced set of flavour name, descriptors and packaging guidelines.
“If the BMA wants to see underage and illicit vape sales stopped, it should join the industry in calling for the introduction of a first-of-its-kind licensing scheme which would prevent inappropriate businesses – including sweet shops – from selling these products, bring into play stronger penalties for those caught flouting the law and generate upwards of £50 million in annual, self-sustaining funding which could be used to empower under resourced Trading Standards.”
“With regards to future public education campaigns, the BMA should be supporting initiatives that raise awareness of how adult smokers can benefit from considerably less harmful alternatives to conventional cigarettes, such as compliant vapes, which will save the NHS millions of pounds in not having to care for those suffering from smoking related conditions, a cost which is estimated to be some £2.6 bn a year.”
Click here to read the full vape retail and distributor licensing scheme.