Skip to content
Search
AI Powered
Latest Stories

Retailers react sharply to disposable vape ban

Retailers react sharply to disposable vape ban
A selection of disposable vapes with bright and colourful packaging are seen in a convenience store, on January 29, 2024 in London, England. Rishi Sunak announces a ban on disposable vapes in the UK as part of government plans to tackle the rise in youth vaping and protect children's health. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)
Getty Images

Banning disposable vapes in the UK will not help people give up smoking and vaping but will only fuel the illicit market, independent retailers have warned.

In an announcement today (29), the government has published the responses to its consultation on "creating a smokefree generation and tackling youth vaping", outlining plans to go ahead with a ban on single use vapes and a range of other restrictions.


Other measures include stricter controls on the refillable vaping market, with restrictions on characterising colours and flavours, the location in store that vapes are permitted to be sold, and the packaging that vapes are sold in, although these are all subject to further consultation.

In response to the announcements, Association of Convenience Stores chief executive James Lowman said, “There are rules already in place to stop children purchasing vapes, to stop vapes being littered and ensure they can be recycled, and to punish those who sell illicit products but they are either not being enforced effectively or not at all due to a lack of resources provided to trading standards.

"The Government's proposals will have a significant operational and financial impact on legitimate retailers, while rogue sellers will continue on without concern.”

Muntazir Dipoti, the National President of the Federation of the Independent Retailers (the Fed), has also criticised the government decision.

"While we agree that action is needed to prevent children and young people being attracted to vaping, we do not believe that banning disposable vapes is the way to go about it.”

“An outright ban will simply send youngsters towards unorthodox and illicit sources where there is no compliance to tobacco and vaping laws, while the products they peddle are likely to contain dangerous and illegal levels of toxic chemicals. Disposable vapes are usually more affordable and, as such, are a bigger incentive for adult smokers to change to vapes.”

To clamp down on young people vaping, the government needed to make more financial resources available for educational campaigns, while more enforcement activity was required, especially at borders to prevent counterfeit products entering the market, Dipoti continued.

Meanwhile, the introduction of a disposal scheme – similar to the deposit return scheme being planned for single use drinks containers – would better address the government’s concerns on the environmental impact that these products have.

Dipoti explained, “Vape retailers are responsible and offer a recycling option, but the government should be looking at making available more ways to safely recycle disposable vapes.”

More for you

Raj Patel

Raj Patel

National Lottery retailers help raise landmark £50bn for good causes

Today, on The National Lottery’s 30th birthday, operator Allwyn is announcing that, through selling tickets, National Lottery retailers have helped players raise a landmark £50 billion for Good Causes since 1994 – funding an incredible 700,000 individual projects across the UK.

Allwyn is also announcing that National Lottery retailers have now earned over £8 billion in sales commission since the first draw on Saturday 19 November 1994.

Keep ReadingShow less
Bacardi Cocktail

Brits ditch tea for G&T

Nearly half of Brits (44%) say they would prefer a G&T to a cup of tea when getting together with friends, according to a new survey by spirits major Bacardi Limited.

The UK consumer survey was conducted as part of the sixth annual Bacardi Cocktail Trends Report which anticipates the key trends redefining global cocktail culture and the spirits business in 2025.

Keep ReadingShow less
Tractors take to the streets of Westminster as demonstrators attend a farmers rally on November 19, 2024 in London, England. Thousands of farmers descended on central London to protest against changes to inheritance tax announced in the budget last month. The farmers argue that the changes will destroy family farms and that the nation's food security is at risk, while the government says that the change will likely affect only around 500 larger estate farms. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)

Tractors descend on Westminster as farmers protest begins

Thousands of British farmers today (19) are set to march to Parliament Square to protest against the end of an inheritance tax exemption that has helped family farms pass down the generations, saying the move will threaten food production.

First unveiled in chancellor Rachel Reeves’s Budget, the plans to impose inheritance tax on farms worth more than £1m have sparked fury among rural communities, who have contested the government’s assertion that small family farms will not be impacted by the changes.

Keep ReadingShow less
Bestway launches Christmas 'Profit Express' campaign

Bestway launches Christmas 'Profit Express' campaign

Retailers are invited to board Bestway’s Profit Express’ train as Bestway Wholesale launches its major Christmas campaign to its B2B customers across its nationwide depots, allowing retailers to access to its leading festive deals to drive shopper footfall against the backdrop of the theatre. The campaign will be live until Thursday 2 January 2025 giving customers the elevated, engaging and high impact theatre they have become famous for over the last three years.

In collaboration with key suppliers, the ‘Profit Express’ festive campaign delivers all the magic of theatre and festive fun, ensuring exceptional visibility and engagement for its expected 80,000 retailers shopping the Christmas campaign.

Keep ReadingShow less
imperial brands

Pricing and Next Generation Products surge boost Imperial Brands revenue and profits

Imperial Brands has reported a robust performance for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2024, helped by strong cigarette prices and rise in its Next Generation Products (NGP) segment.

The group, whose brands include Golden Virginia tobacco, Rizla rolling papers, Winston cigarettes and the vaping brand blu, delivered a 4.6 per cent increase in tobacco and NGP net revenue on a constant currency basis. This was driven by strong pricing in the tobacco segment, which offset a 4 per cent decline in volume, and a remarkable 26.4 per cent rise in NGP revenue.

Keep ReadingShow less