WVS NEWS: UK Disposables Ban is in Effect But Enforcement Has Been Patchy
To date, illicit sales of tobacco and alcohol have generally taken precedence over those of vape products, and it looks like this has not changed since the ban began at the start of this month. A spokesperson for the Chartered Trading Standards Institute was asked for comment but did not reply before publication.
A bumpy transition period?
The UKVIA said its members have seen scattered application of the ban, but that there does not appear to be any specific pattern or list of priorities. For example, there has been no notable increase in enforcement at major points of entry for goods into the UK or across major urban areas.
Where there has been enforcement, the organisation said, it has been piecemeal with no apparent rhyme or reason to the retailers affected. This has left a situation where disposable vaping products remain remarkably easy to find almost a month after they should have been removed from shelves, said Dunne.
He added that it was currently unclear whether retailers were merely selling off old stock that was taking a bit more time to move than expected – and so perhaps were being given additional leeway by Trading Standards – or if this was new stock being imported.
Another incoming law could help
The UKVIA expects the eventual introduction of the UK Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which will set up a licensing scheme for retailers, to aid in enforcement efforts and be more successful in achieving the stated objective of the disposables ban; namely, preventing youth access to vaping products.
Dunne added that the UKVIA had been opposed to the ban on these single-use products, fearing it would have a negative impact on public health by making smoking a relatively easier or more attractive option for those who had been attempting to quit through vaping while also increasing the likelihood of black-market sales activity.
“We’ve always maintained that bans are not the answer to the issues linked to the vaping industry,” said Dunne, adding that the solution instead lies in “enforcement of the laws that are already in place to protect children and the environment”.
– Freddie Dawson ECigIntelligence senior contributing editor
