The UK government has recently introduced a significant piece of legislation, the ‘Tobacco and Vapes Bill 2024’.
The bill, which was announced in the House of Commons, is set to have far-reaching implications for the vaping industry.
The bill is expected to come into force by October 2026, however, the exact date will depend on the bill’s progress through the various stages of the legislative process.
The vaping industry faces potential restraints on product variety and visibility, which could reshape the market dynamics.
Currently, the excise tax on vaping will rise from £120 million in 2026-7 to £445 million by 2028-9.
The British government have proposed three separate tax categories, these include both nicotine-free and nicotine-based e-liquids.
- £1.00 per 10ml for nicotine-free liquids.
- £2.00 per 10ml on liquids that contain 0.1-10.9mg nicotine per ml.
- £3.00 per 10ml on liquids that contain 11mg or more per ml.
In addition to this new tax on e-liquids, the UK government will also implement a one-off tobacco duty increase of £2.00 per 100 cigarettes, which will see the standard 20 packet of cigarettes rise by a further £0.40.
Furthermore, the new ‘Tobacco and Vapes Bill’ will provide new powers to restrict vape flavours, product packaging and presentation, and change how vapes are displayed in shops.
The proposed new vape restriction areas, which are being overlooked by a politically-driven Bill, could potentially lead to adverse public health consequences, thereby putting millions of lives in jeopardy.
The Government also grants the Secretary of State extraordinary authority to determine the fate of millions of British smokers and vapers, without giving due consideration to the potential health consequences.
UKVIA Director General John Dunne said:
“We cannot stand by and let the Government play Russian Roulette with millions of lives.
“The potential health impacts of any new regulatory changes must be robustly examined and quantified before anything else happens.
“The potential health disaster that the Government is about to unleash with this politically motivated Bill is so serious that we must halt its progress immediately.
Dunne added:
“It is absolutely crucial that Parliament gets this right before this Bill becomes law.
“We have already written to the Prime Minister and every MP to point out this glaring oversight by the DHSC.
“It is irresponsible in the extreme for the Government to propose legislation that gives unprecedented powers to the Secretary of State to make life-or-death decisions for millions of British smokers and vapers without even a cursory nod to the health impacts this may have.
“Because so many lives are potentially at risk, the evidence used to make these impacts must be made public and be independently checked and verified.”
