TRPR REVIEW

TOBACCO AND VAPING: UKVIA

THE SMOKE- FREE FUTURE?

THE UK GOVERNMENT HAS LAUNCHED A CONSULTATION ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF RECENT TOBACCO LEGISLATION, WHICH COULD HELP CREATE A NEW NATIONAL CONVERSATION ABOUT VAPING.

The Government has asked for trade and public views on the perceived effectiveness of recent tobacco legislation.

Specifically, opinions are being sought on two items – The Standardised Packaging of Tobacco Products Regulations 2015 (SPoT), which introduced plain packaging for cigarettes and hand rolling tobacco, and the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016 (TRPR), which introduced a range of provisions covering health warnings and flavours for tobacco, plus restrictions on product formulation, advertising and promotion of electronic cigarettes.

UKVIA, a trade association representing the UK vaping industry, welcomed the consultation as an opportunity to change the way that e-cig manufacturers can communicate the harm-reduction benefits of vaping.

UKVIA Director General John Dunne said: “As the UK has taken control of its regulatory landscape post-Brexit, and ahead of the announced development of a new Tobacco Control Plan, there is an enormous opportunity to seize the public health potential of vaping. Across areas as diverse as advertising and enforcement, opportunities exist like never before to empower adult smokers and vapers and drive down smoking prevalence.

“Whilst smoking prevalence has declined across the UK between 2018- 19 by 0.6% according to the Office for National Statistics, there are still 6.9 million smokers, representing some 14.1% of the adult population. Moreover, despite vaping being acknowledged as one of the best ways to quit smoking, there are still nearly a third (32.4%) of adult smokers in Great Britain that have never tried vaping. Therefore, positive regulatory change has the potential to unlock the public health prize presented by vaping.

“Our members have been working tirelessly to agree what a new settlement for vaping should look like, to bolster harm-reduction opportunities and support the Government’s ambition for a Smoke Free 2030.

“As an industry, the vaping community has done much to provide vital information and alternatives to smokers for many years, but there is only so much we can do in the confines of current EU regulations. With the support of all stakeholders, including Government and regulators, the potential improvements to public health can increase tremendously.”

The consultation closes on 19 March 2021.