David Waterfield is Area Director of the Western Europe Area for British American Tobacco.
More than a year has passed since Sajid Javid first promised a ‘vaping revolution’ and the interventions announced by the Government on 11 April look set to put a smoke-free 2030 back on course.
These interventions were urgently needed – in his Independent Review on Tobacco Control, published in June 2022, Dr Javed Khan warned that the country was set to miss its target for a smoke-free 2030 by at least seven years. England’s least prosperous communities would have to wait fourteen years to bring smoking rates below 5 per cent*.
Embracing the potential of vaping to deliver a smoke-free 2030
By placing vaping at the forefront of the government’s plans, the Minister for Public Health has made the smoke-free 2030 objective achievable once again.
Amongst the compelling policy initiatives announced by the Minister, a first-of-its-kind ‘swap to stop’ scheme and financial incentives for pregnant women to switch from smoking stand out.
As does the Government’s call for evidence on ways to tackle youth vaping. Cartoon characters and images appealing to children do not belong on the packaging. Implementing regulations to tackle this will play a critical role in ensuring these products remain accessible for adults seeking to quit smoking.
Public health experts worldwide have applauded the UK government for taking innovative steps to drive down adult smoking rates but providing access to vapes is just one part of the jigsaw to achieving a smoke-free society.
Strengthen enforcement by introducing pre-market checks
Access to vapes will not be effective unless smokers are confident that the vaping products they use are compliant with regulations.
The announcement of an illicit vape enforcement squad was extremely welcome and this will help begin tackling the serious problem of non-compliance.
The responsible vapour industry has long called for meaningful action on this concerning issue, and loudly applaud Minister O’Brien’s determination to tackle it.
However, non-compliant products should never be able to arrive on British shores in the first place. To this end, BAT UK calls for the introduction of pre-market checks on all vaping products entering the UK.
These pre-market checks include the assessment and testing of all vaping products against British Standards Institute (BSI) standards. Instead of relying on self-certified notifications, the MHRA should introduce product testing, requiring a certificate of compliance before any product can be cleared through customs and sold. Customs officials should not clear any products without this certificate.
The introduction of pre-market testing would force manufacturers to prove that they have met all required regulatory standards. This would allow the newly established illicit vape enforcement squad to focus their attention on tackling rogue retailers that persistently sell to minors.
There is no time to waste
A Better Tomorrow™, one where smokers who would otherwise continue to smoke switch to less risky alternatives**, such as vaping, is once again within reach. We must grasp this opportunity with both hands, or risk it slipping between our fingers.
*Less than 5 per cent is the globally accepted definition of a smoke-free society. England’s smoking rate currently stands at 13.0 per cent, according to the ONS.
**Based on the weight of evidence and assuming a complete switch from cigarette smoking. These products are not risk-free and are addictive.
BAT UK is a UK subsidiary of BAT. BAT is building A Better Tomorrow™ by reducing the health impact of our business. From launching our first vaping device in the UK in 2013, non-combustible alternative nicotine products accounted for almost half of the revenue of BAT’s UK business in 2021.
David Waterfield is Area Director of the Western Europe Area for British American Tobacco.
More than a year has passed since Sajid Javid first promised a ‘vaping revolution’ and the interventions announced by the Government on 11 April look set to put a smoke-free 2030 back on course.
These interventions were urgently needed – in his Independent Review on Tobacco Control, published in June 2022, Dr Javed Khan warned that the country was set to miss its target for a smoke-free 2030 by at least seven years. England’s least prosperous communities would have to wait fourteen years to bring smoking rates below 5 per cent*.
Embracing the potential of vaping to deliver a smoke-free 2030
By placing vaping at the forefront of the government’s plans, the Minister for Public Health has made the smoke-free 2030 objective achievable once again.
Amongst the compelling policy initiatives announced by the Minister, a first-of-its-kind ‘swap to stop’ scheme and financial incentives for pregnant women to switch from smoking stand out.
As does the Government’s call for evidence on ways to tackle youth vaping. Cartoon characters and images appealing to children do not belong on the packaging. Implementing regulations to tackle this will play a critical role in ensuring these products remain accessible for adults seeking to quit smoking.
Public health experts worldwide have applauded the UK government for taking innovative steps to drive down adult smoking rates but providing access to vapes is just one part of the jigsaw to achieving a smoke-free society.
Strengthen enforcement by introducing pre-market checks
Access to vapes will not be effective unless smokers are confident that the vaping products they use are compliant with regulations.
The announcement of an illicit vape enforcement squad was extremely welcome and this will help begin tackling the serious problem of non-compliance.
The responsible vapour industry has long called for meaningful action on this concerning issue, and loudly applaud Minister O’Brien’s determination to tackle it.
However, non-compliant products should never be able to arrive on British shores in the first place. To this end, BAT UK calls for the introduction of pre-market checks on all vaping products entering the UK.
These pre-market checks include the assessment and testing of all vaping products against British Standards Institute (BSI) standards. Instead of relying on self-certified notifications, the MHRA should introduce product testing, requiring a certificate of compliance before any product can be cleared through customs and sold. Customs officials should not clear any products without this certificate.
The introduction of pre-market testing would force manufacturers to prove that they have met all required regulatory standards. This would allow the newly established illicit vape enforcement squad to focus their attention on tackling rogue retailers that persistently sell to minors.
There is no time to waste
A Better Tomorrow™, one where smokers who would otherwise continue to smoke switch to less risky alternatives**, such as vaping, is once again within reach. We must grasp this opportunity with both hands, or risk it slipping between our fingers.
*Less than 5 per cent is the globally accepted definition of a smoke-free society. England’s smoking rate currently stands at 13.0 per cent, according to the ONS.
**Based on the weight of evidence and assuming a complete switch from cigarette smoking. These products are not risk-free and are addictive.
BAT UK is a UK subsidiary of BAT. BAT is building A Better Tomorrow™ by reducing the health impact of our business. From launching our first vaping device in the UK in 2013, non-combustible alternative nicotine products accounted for almost half of the revenue of BAT’s UK business in 2021.