UKVIA Newsletter - January 2025

UKVIA ‘disappointed’ at lack of industry and consumer representation at Tobacco and Vapes Bill hearings

The UK Vaping Industry Association was disappointed that no representatives for the sector, nor for the millions of adults who have quit smoking through vaping, were invited to speak at the January 7th committee hearings for the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.

UKVIA Director General, John Dunne, said: “Some of the measures being considered in this bill could have consequences on the effectiveness of vaping as a quitting tool, potentially blocking smokers from making the switch or sending current adult vapers back to cigarettes or to the black market.

“The legitimate industry, which is devoted to helping adult smokers kick the habit and shares the ambition of a smoke free future, as well as the consumers, whose lives have been changed by vaping, should have had a voice in the session.”

On January 8, the day following the hearings, the UKVIA hosted a successful parliamentary session where MPs and peers were able to drop-in and discuss the industry’s views on how the Tobacco and Vapes Bill could be amended or improved so it can have the greatest positive impact.

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‘Smokers need more help to quit’: New UCL report shows one in 20 adults smoke and vape

UKVIA Director General John Dunne says more action is required to help smokers fully transition to cigarettes following publication of new research from UCL researchers.

The?study, published in the journal Addiction, found that between 2016 and 2024, the proportion of people both smoking and vaping rose from 3.5% (about one in 30) to 5.2% (about one in 20).

The increase was found to be greatest among young adults, with nearly two thirds of 18- to 24-year-olds who smoked also vaping in 2024 compared to one in five in 2016.

The research team also found that, among dual users, there had been a shift away from more frequent smoking to more frequent vaping, with the proportion smoking daily and vaping non-daily halving from 32% to 15%, while the proportion vaping daily and smoking non-daily more than doubled from 8% to 22%.

Said John Dunne: “We are now seeing the lowest smoking rates among both adults and young people in the UK, but this report highlights that smokers are confused about the relative risks of vaping and smoking.

“We must do a better job to convince smokers to fully switch to vaping so they will see the major health benefits of moving away from a product that kills one in every two of its users.”

He also criticised those who sought to use the survey to claim that vaping acted as a gateway to smoking, insisting that all the evidence showed that the opposite was true.

Click here to read the full story: UKVIA says smokers need more help to quit as new report shows one in 20 adults smoke and vape - UKVIA

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Help build a new Vaping Products Duty Service that works for you ?

HMRC is looking to build a new service for UK manufacturers impacted by the Policy Design to register, submit and pay duty on Vaping products and would like to invite participants to help with their research (typically short video calls or surveys).?It is an opportunity to share your experiences and help build a new service, with the aim to meet your needs. ?

Currently,?HMRC is seeking?participants from?UK manufacturers?to help them understand more about:

- The vaping industry demographics

- Awareness and preparation for paying the vaping duty

- Compliance in manufacture and storage

- How the upcoming vaping products duty service will work best for you

If you are a UK manufacturer and would like to be involved, please?register your interest?with HMRC today: Join Vaping Products Duty User Research ?

For any Policy related questions, you can also contact [email protected]

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ECigIntelligence: Disposable Bans Take Hold in Europe

As the UK prepares for the single use vapes ban to take effect from June, our Data Partner ECigIntelligence explains that similar bans are already in effect in parts of Europe and even more could be on the way.

Antonia Di Lorenzo from ECigIntelligence writes: “Actions taken by countries like Belgium and France highlight a growing momentum towards stricter regulation, with an EU-wide ban on these products becoming a possibility.

“European policy-makers will face a tough task in balancing public health goals, environmental sustainability, economic considerations and shifting consumer behaviours – not to mention the challenges in enforcement of disposable bans.

"The scale of these challenges is not really yet clear, although they should soon become so in Belgium and then the UK. Disposables may be disappearing from the market in some countries, but it’s unlikely they’ll disappear from the news just yet.”

Read full story here: Disposable Bans Take Hold in Europe - UKVIA

UKVIA campaign shines light on the real impact on vaping as testimonials continue to flood in

A growing chorus of consumers are singing the praises of vaping as a stop smoking tool as part of the UKVIA ongoing REAL VAPERS campaign.

The initiative calls on vapers to share their quitting stories so the government can better understand the true impact of vaping and smokers, who may have been deterred by misinformation, can be inspired to make the switch.

It was created following evidence from Action on Smoking and Health UK, which revealed half of all smokers wrongly and worryingly believe vaping to be as or more harmful than smoking.

Since launching the campaign, the UKVIA has received submission after submission from adults across the country who credit vaping with helping them finally kick the habit and change their lives for the better.

One REAL VAPER said: “Without vapes, I know I would still be smoking 20 to 30 cigarettes a day”.

Another said: “I have been cigarette free for almost six years and I never would have been able to do it without vaping.”

If you would like to support the REAL VAPERS campaign, why not download and display our campaign posters – available here: Real Vapers Campaign Assets – Dropbox

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VApril 2025

VApril 2025 is just around the corner and preparations for the biggest vaping education initiative are already well underway.

This year’s iteration is arguably the most important in the history of the long-running campaign, coming as misperceptions about vaping are at an all-time high. It also follows Freedom of Information data, gathered by the UKVIA, which revealed a shocking lack of investment in government-led campaigns about vaping and stopping smoking.

Watch this space for updates as we approach the campaign and to learn how you can get involved.

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