Key points:
·Goals and Industry Status: In 2019, the UK set a target for a smoke-free future by 2030, with British American Tobacco supporting and viewing e-cigarettes as key. However, the e-cigarette industry faces issues such as violations by practitioners and uneven product quality, requiring responsible leadership.
·Corporate Actions and Demands: British American Tobacco has launched the "e-cigarette users deserve better" campaign, urging the Tobacco and E-cigarette Act to include mandatory pre-market testing, a retail licensing system, and penalties for violators.
·Public Awareness Data: 67% of the British public believes that e-cigarettes are as harmful as or more harmful than smoking; 53% are unaware of the NHS guidance that states e-cigarettes are less harmful than smoking, with the misconception dropping to 52% after being informed.
·Potential Risks and Policy Impacts: 10% of surveyed e-cigarette users are considering relapsing, potentially affecting up to 560,000 people nationwide and leading to a rise in smoking rates for the first time since 1974; the government's proposed ban on nicotine product advertising may reduce awareness of smoke-free alternatives and impact smoking cessation efforts.
2Firsts, September 29, 2025 - According to Politics Home, Asli Ertonguc, the Western Europe Regional Director of British American Tobacco UK, has stated that BAT supports the smoke-free society goal in the UK, but not all e-cigarette products meet the same standards of quality. The industry is facing threats from irresponsible practitioners who disregard regulatory requirements, ignore basic quality standards, and fail to fulfill product management responsibilities.
This week, British American Tobacco launched a new campaign called "Vapers Deserve Better." This initiative is aimed at addressing the challenges facing the industry and calling for the implementation of improved and enforceable regulations.
Currently, the Tobacco and Vapes Bill is still under parliamentary review, and British American Tobacco believes there is no reason to adopt a stance of inaction at this time.
Specifically, British American Tobacco is calling for the implementation of a mandatory pre-market testing mechanism, immediate promotion of retail licensing systems, and stricter penalties for practitioners who believe regulations do not apply to them.
British American Tobacco has clearly stated that if these measures are not taken, the existing progress that the UK has made in building a smoke-free society will face the risk of regression.
A study conducted by the polling organization Obsurvant revealed that two-thirds (67%) of the surveyed British public believe that the harm of e-cigarettes is equivalent to, or even greater than, smoking. Despite clear statements from the National Health Service (NHS), Public Health England, and the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities that "the risks of e-cigarettes are only a small fraction of the risks of smoking," the public still holds the aforementioned belief. Of concern is that among surveyed smokers, one-sixth of them and over half of e-cigarette users also agree with this viewpoint.
This cognitive bias poses a real risk. The study found that 10% of surveyed e-cigarette users in the UK are actively considering starting smoking again. If this proportion is representative of all e-cigarette users in the UK, then the corresponding number would be approximately 560,000 people. If this cognitive bias continues, the smoking rate in the UK may increase for the first time since records began in 1974.
For many people, the results of this investigation may not come as a surprise. The e-cigarette industry has often faced negative consequences due to such "poor quality products.
It may come as a surprise that more than half (53%) of the respondents in a survey were not aware of the clear guidance from the UK National Health Service that "nicotine e-cigarettes are not completely risk-free, but far less harmful than smoking". After being informed of this information, the proportion of those who believed "e-cigarettes are as harmful as smoking" decreased from 67% to 52%.
As it stands, the proposed legislation by the UK government may further reinforce the above-mentioned misconception among the public. An example of this is the proposed ban on nicotine product advertisements.
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