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UK government introduces draft regulations on disposable vape ban on March 11, 2024. The sale of disposable vapes will be banned in the UK from April 2025.
Any merchant who violates the regulations will face a fine of 200 pounds and may be imprisoned.
Once the regulations come into effect, merchants will need to follow the regulations. Anyone found to be selling disposable vapes will face fixed fines. Also, they may be issued a compliance/stop-sale notice ensuring they cease selling these products.
Any merchant who fails to comply with the enforcement notice may face further fines or imprisonment. Besides, law enforcement officers will also have the power. They can enter shops, take photos, and seize goods suspected of violating regulations. This document is currently in the draft stage. So, it means the prohibitions are subject to change.
The definition of single-use vape is also outlined in the regulation.
Disposable vapes are also defined in this regulation:
- A single-use vape is a vape which is not designed or intended to be re-used (a “single use vape”). This includes any vape that is— (a) not refillable, (b) not rechargeable, or (c) not refillable and not rechargeable.
- For this regulation, a vape is not refillable. Unless it is designed to include— (a) a single-use container that is separately available and can be replaced, or (b) a container that can be refilled.
- For this regulation, a vape is not rechargeable if it is designed to contain— (a) a battery which cannot be recharged, a coil which is not intended to be replaced by an individual user in the normal course of use. This includes any coil which is contained in a single-use cartridge or pod which is not separately available and cannot be replaced.
View The Environmental Protection (Single-use Vapes) (England) Regulations 2024 draft SI on UK government official page.
Impact of disposable vape ban on the entire retail industry.
The government also releases an impact report. The report predicts the impact the ban will have on profits across the retail industry. It is expected that losses will reach 648 million pounds in 2025 and 761 million pounds in 2026.
This figure is calculated by multiplying the average price of disposable vapes by projected annual sales. Then, multiple this number by 24%, which is the projected revenue margin, based on data from the Annual Business Survey. However, this draft was criticized by ACS.
James Lowman, CEO of ACS, said:
“The Government is at best being incredibly naïve about what is going to happen after the disposable vapes ban comes into force. They are convincing themselves that banning something will mean it ceases to exist. There are a wide range of fundamental problems with the impact assessment. Chief of which is a drastic underestimation of the financial impact of a disposable vape ban on retailers. Using the overall turnover figure for retail businesses to calculate the profit loss of a ban on disposables marks a complete failure in understanding the category.
“There is nothing in the regulations or the impact assessment that will deter criminals and rogue traders, who will carry on regardless. To pretend that this will do anything but boost the illicit trade is fantasy policymaking.”
To the vape manufacturing companies.
For many vape companies, UK vape market is one of their main market. Once this regulation comes into effect, disposable vape sale will drop in UK. So, manufacturers who focus on disposable vape will need to change the strategy. Pod vape system, refillable vaping and rechargeable vaping will be the future. There is a whole year time left. Vape manufacturing factories should put more efforts on non-disposable vape in UK market. Find some vape companies, distributors and retailers for cooperating.
The government is still accepting comments and views on the draft until March 25.
Next news: Disposable Vape Ban Does Not Stop VPZ From Expanding
