As the government considers a ban on disposable e-cigarettes to tackle youth vaping, a new briefing paper from the free-market think-tank the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) has found that a ban could deter adult smokers from quitting while doing little to stop underage vaping.
Critics claim disposable e-cigarettes – often sold in colourful packaging and with fruity flavours – are targeted at under-18s. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said in May 2023, “I have two young girls. I’m also worried about [underage vaping]. It looks like they are targeted at kids, which is ridiculous.”
But according to “A Vapid Solution: Why banning disposable e-cigarettes would be a failure of law-enforcement”, the government should instead enforce existing laws against underage vaping.
“Banning a product because it is sometimes consumed by people who are already banned from buying it is a poor basis for legislation,” write report authors IEA Head of Lifestyle Economics Christopher Snowdon and Communications Officer Reem Ibrahim. “We do not ban cider just because some teenagers drink it. We do not ban 18 certificate films because some teenagers watch them. We do not even ban cigarettes because some teenagers smoke them.”
E-cigarettes are a highly effective, safe and popular tool for smokers seeking to quit. Snowdon and Ibrahim warn that without their favoured products, a ban could risk some returning to cigarettes and the associated health risks.
The IEA paper also highlights how a ban could result in the proliferation of unregulated and unsafe vaping products on the black market. A recent analysis of vapes confiscated from a school in Kidderminster found that most were already illegal products, with many containing high levels of lead, nickel and chromium.
Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), which also opposes a single-use e-cigarette ban, have said making e-cigarettes illegal “won’t help” because children are already being sold the product illegally. “The sale of illegal disposable vapes, already large and growing, will be turbo-charged if they are banned,” ASH warn. Australia, where e-cigarettes containing nicotine have always been banned, also have an ongoing problem with children purchasing unregulated e-cigarettes on the black market.
E-cigarette critics also raise environmental concerns about single-use vaping, including the use of plastic and lithium and litter. The lithium discarded in disposable vapes every year is, according to the paper, relatively small — it would only be enough to build 1,200 car batteries, a tiny fraction of the 16.5 million electric cars on the road in the UK. A reduction in littering could be achieved through encouraging responsible recycling and consideration of a deposit return scheme.
“Good laws are seldom made in a climate of hysteria,” said Snowdon. “There are understandable concerns about youth vaping, but the problem would be better addressed by enforcing the laws that already exist than by prohibiting an entire category of e-cigarettes.
“It is too easy for teenagers to buy vapes illegally – and the vapes themselves are often illegal and unregulated. The government should take a calm and rational look at the unintended consequences that could arise from a ban on disposable vapes before banning an effective alternative to cigarettes.”
Reem Ibrahim added: “Concerns about youth vaping are not unfounded, but banning disposable e-cigarettes would be entirely counterproductive. The Government has largely acknowledged the benefits of tobacco harm reduction. Banning one of the safest, cheapest and most convenient methods of nicotine consumption would make it significantly harder for adults to quit smoking.
“We need to strictly enforce existing laws against under-18s purchasing these products, rather than taking away the freedom to choose from millions of adults.”
Nisa Local Torridon Road in South London has seen a remarkable 30% increase in chilled sales, thanks to the addition of Co-op ready meals to its range.
The store’s owner, Kaual Patel, credits the uplift of £6,000 per week in chilled product sales to the quality and appeal of the Co-op range and the store’s recent refurbishment.
Kaual said, “In November 2022, we refurbished the store and added significant chiller space, which allowed us to take full advantage of the Co-op ready-meal range.
"Since then, we’ve seen an uplift in sales of at least 25% to 30%, amounting to around £6,000 a week.“
The chillers are now our biggest department, stocked with everything from fresh soups to pizzas, curries, and takeaway-style meals. This has made a huge impact, allowing us to compete against larger chains in a way we couldn’t before.
“Our customers are drawn to the quality of the ready meals, with multi-buy offers like two-for-one pizzas being especially popular. The chilled range has even overtaken alcohol and tobacco sales, which is great for our margins.”
Convenience plays a major role in the success of this category.
“Many of our customers lead busy lives and appreciate being able to grab a fresh, high-quality meal they can prepare in minutes. The Co-op brand is iconic and trusted, offering a variety of seasonal and Fairtrade products that inspire consumer confidence,” Kaual added.
The success of Co-op ready meals is evident across the Nisa network, with 54% of retailers now stocking the range. Co-op own branded products are not only high-quality and made with 100% British meat, but are also ethically sourced, supporting Fairtrade and sustainable farming practices, ensuring customers can enjoy their meals with confidence in the quality and integrity of every product.
Jayne Brown, Co-op Brand Planning and Comms Manager at Nisa, commented: “Kaual’s story demonstrates the incredible potential of the Co-op ready meal range. The products are not only high-quality but also meet the evolving needs of today’s consumers for convenience and variety."
Seeing Kaual’s chilled section outperform traditional categories like alcohol and tobacco is a testament to the power of great branding and strong margins.”
With its ability to drive footfall, increase sales, and deliver outstanding customer satisfaction, the Co-op ready meal range is proving to be a game-changer for retailers like Nisa Local Torridon Road.
Premier Foods reported robust sales of its host of well-known brands during the Christmas period and is now forecasting that its annual profit will come in at the upper end of analysts’ expectations.
During its third quarter to 28 December, the group saw its total sales grow by 3.1 per cent, driven by branded sales that increased by 4.6 per cent. After recent investments in innovation and promotional pricing, its performance was driven by volume growth, which was 7 per cent for its branded lines.
The group’s Grocery division saw overall sales increase by 2.2 per cent after branded growth of 3.5 per cent offset a 9.3 per cent fall in non-branded.
Premier Foods noted that its premium Ambrosia Deluxe and Bisto Best ranges performed well as consumers traded up over the Christmas period, while its Loyd Grossman cooking sauces delivered sales growth after benefitting from the roll-out of new lines.
The group’s recently acquired brands grew double-digit, helped by new product launches by The Spice Tailor and FUEL10K.
Meanwhile, Premier Foods said that non-branded sales had declined mainly due to the exit of some lower-margin contracts.
The group’s Sweet Treats division reported strong volume-led branded revenue growth of 8.9 per cent , with both its Mr Kipling and Cadbury ranges said to have grown faster than the market. Non-branded Sweet Treats sales were in line with the same period a year ago.
Premier Foods overseas businesses enjoyed another strong quarter, with sales climbing 29 per cent after its brands saw double-digit growth in all target regions.
“We are pleased to report another very good quarter of volume-led branded revenue growth, accompanied by further market share gains, as our branded growth model continues to deliver well for us,” said Chief Executive Alex Whitehouse.
He noted that the business had benefitted from consumers trading up and treating themselves in recent months after cost of living pressures started to ease for some people.
Whitehouse concluded, “Having delivered very good volume led, branded revenue growth in our key third quarter, we’re now guiding trading profit to the upper end of expectations for this financial year.
As we look to the rest of FY24-25 and to the medium term, we expect to deliver further progress as we continue to execute against our five pillar growth strategy.”
The Compleat Food Group, one of the UK’s leading food manufacturers, has achieved a significant milestone in its sustainability journey by removing plastic trays from its pork pie packaging.
The initiative, which spans both branded and own-label products, is set to reduce plastic use by 110 tonnes annually. The group produces an estimated 200 million pork pies annually under its own label and through its portfolio of brands, which include Pork Farms, Wall’s Pastry, and Wrights.
The rollout is part of the company’s aim to reduce its environmental impact while maintaining food quality and safety. Following a substantial investment in automation equipment at its Tottle site, the company implemented a new, innovative trayless packaging process, which eliminates 75 per cent of the plastic previously used in high-volume pork pie packs. This is expected to result in a carbon saving of approximately 430 tonnes of CO2 equivalent each year.
“Our move to trayless packaging for pork pies is a prime example of how innovation and investment can drive meaningful sustainability improvements. While the automation required careful consideration of speed and efficiency, the result is a significant reduction in plastic use without compromising on product quality or freshness,” David Moore, head of ESG at The Compleat Food Group, said.
“This marks a huge step forward in our efforts to reduce plastic packaging across our portfolio, supporting our wider purpose to make food to feel good, taste good and do good.”
In addition to the trayless packaging initiative, The Compleat Food Group is driving innovation in flexible films, a material that remains a key challenge for the food industry due to the lack of collection and recycling infrastructure. The group is transitioning to mono-material films for specific product packaging, such as chorizo. These films can be recycled through supermarket collection points and are expected to be kerbside recyclable from 2027.
A signatory of WRAP’s UK Plastics Pact, The Compleat Food Group said it is committed to addressing the challenges of packaging by removing unnecessary materials, increasing the use of recycled content, and improving recyclability. The company uses over 4,000 tonnes of plastic annually and has a clear strategy to reduce this figure through targeted innovations, while maintaining product quality and freshness.
The company’s broader ESG goals include exploring new packaging solutions, trialling recyclable alternatives, and embedding sustainability across its operations. Recent achievements include replacing rPET plastic trays with recyclable paper-based board in its Squeaky Bean range, cutting plastic use in that range by 82 per cent.
Businesses are facing a sharp rise of "140 per cent" in property costs due to the government's decision to cut relief for the retail, hospitality and leisure sector from 75 per cent to 40 per cent, property consultancy Colliers has warned.
The government’s decision to reduce business rates relief from 75 per cent to 40 per cent will see thousands of shops, restaurants, pubs, gyms, and nightclubs grappling with bills surging by over 140 per cent from the beginning of April.
This significant increase is expected to place further strain on an already pressured high street.
John Webber, head of business rates at Colliers, cautioned that the reforms could exacerbate challenges for retailers.
“The Labour government’s business rates policies will soon put even further pressure on the high street as bills for the new rating year start to drop through the letterbox next month.
“Labour said if it came into power it would save the high street. This slashing of reliefs will sadly do just the opposite as we’ll sadly see when the bills drop through the letterbox in the month ahead," The Times quoted Webber as saying.
The Conservative government introduced the retail, hospitality and leisure relief scheme in November 2022 to cushion the sector from high rates bills.
It provided eligible properties with 75 per cent business rates relief up to a cap of £110,000 per business. Rachel Reeves announced in October that this would be reduced to 40 per cent.
Colliers has calculated that this will mean that retailers benefiting from the relief will find their business rates bills increasing in April on average from £3,751 a year to £9,003.
Restaurants will face a rise on average from £5,563 to £13,351 a year. The rates bill for the average pub will also go up from £4,017 to £9,642 a year.
The business rates system, forecast to raise £26 billion in England this year, is a property tax charged on most commercial properties, including shops, offices, warehouses and factories.
Labour’s manifesto pledged to replace the business rates system by raising the “same revenue but in a fairer way” to “level the playing field” between the high street and huge online companies and to tackle the scourge of empty properties.
A Treasury spokesman said, “Without our action, business rates relief for retail, hospitality and leisure would have ended completely in April this year.
"Instead, we are protecting one in three business properties from paying business rates, extending 40 per cent relief for 250,000 properties in retail, hospitality and leisure and introducing a new permanently lower business rate in 2026, while more than half of employers will either see a cut or no change in their National Insurance bills.”
Edmonton city council is discussing what it would take to ban knives from being sold in convenience stores, state recent reports.
A key issue during the community and public services committee held on Monday (20) was wading through the potential legal ramifications of defining what a knife is and whether some businesses owners may try to find loopholes to be able to sell knives.
The bylaw amendments would not apply to the sale of "basic cutlery."
"I'd be interested in sort of redefining the definition of knife, rather than defining basic cutlery," said Coun. Jo-Anne Wright during Monday's meeting.
Council previously voted to create a new convenience store business licence category, but implementing the changes can only happen when a licence is up for renewal. Full implementation of the bylaw could take years.
Amendments to the bylaw were heard in Monday's meeting.
The bylaw also sets out new $2,000 fines if knives are sold at a convenience store.
The working definition of knife put forward as an amendment is "a tool composed of at least one blade fastened to a handle, where the blade may be fixed to the handle, or may open through a deployment mechanism, including automatically by gravity or centrifugal force or by hand pressure applied to any part of the tool."
"To me, it's very cut and dry when you look at the definition of knife, and so I wonder if we're also overthinking this a little bit," Coun. Erin Rutherford said during the meeting.
"We knew that it was problematic and challenging in and of itself, both coming up with a definition of convenience store and coming up with a definition of knife."
The matter of knives being readily sold in convenience stores was brought into the spotlight last April after community members from the central neighbourhood of Alberta Avenue came forward with their safety concerns about how easy it was to purchase one.
Edmonton police seized 79 prohibited weapons and illicit tobacco from a central Edmonton convenience store in December, according to a news release on Monday.
On Dec. 17, 2024, EPS' Community Safety Teams, previously known as Healthy Streets Operations Centre, executed a search warrant at a convenience store located at 97th Street and 107th Avenue that was known to be selling prohibited knives and contraband cigarettes.
There were 71 prohibited knives seized, which included a variety of butterfly and spring-assisted knives.
In addition, eight prohibited brass knuckles with spring-assisted knives concealed within, known as "trench knives" were found.