IBVTA Welcomes UK Govt's Crackdown Plan on Illegal Vapes
On Tuesday, April 11, UK Public Health Minister Neil O'Brien will propose measures to tackle illegal e-cigarette sales and sales to minors.
The Independent British Vape Trade Association (IBVTA) announced to 2FIRSTS on Friday (April. 7) that it welcomed the statement since there is a clear correlation between illegal e-cigarette sales and sales to young people. Retailers who do not verify the origin of the e-cigarette products they sell or their notification status with the UK Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) are less likely to verify customers' ages in any meaningful way.
UK government crackdown plan
The government is reportedly providing £3 million in funding for this crackdown, with a newly established "Illegal E-cigarettes Enforcement Team" sharing information and intelligence between regional networks and local governments. The team will carry out specific projects, such as tests, and purchases at convenience stores and e-cigarette shops. In addition, the team will develop guidelines to help establish compliant regulatory systems while having the authority to seize illegal products in stores and at borders.
The IBVTA has been calling for necessary resources to be provided to the trading standards department of the country's e-cigarette regulatory enforcement authorities to ensure more meaningful enforcement of e-cigarette product sales. The association is appreciative of this news and welcomes the focus on effective enforcement at UK borders. Both the trading standards department and the legal e-cigarette industry will benefit from preventing illegal products from entering the UK market for the first time.
IBVTA CEO statement
"We appreciate the statement the minister is going to make. The association looks forward to continuing to support law enforcement agencies in combating illegal trade and illegal products. For a long time, they have tarnished the reputation of legal independent e-cigarette businesses and had a very negative impact on the public's understanding of our industry. E-cigarettes are the most popular, effective, and economical tool for smokers to quit smoking. We welcome the government's continued recognition that reputable UK e-cigarette businesses play an important role in reducing smoking rates", said Gillian Golden, CEO of IBVTA.
According to the Association, IBVTA is a UK trade organization focused on the independent e-cigarette industry, and neither the organization nor its members are controlled or owned by tobacco companies. IBVTA's view on this issue represents the interests of UK e-cigarette and e-cigarette product manufacturers, importers, distributors, retailers, and businesses and brands supporting the e-cigarette supply chain.
Also read:
Flavor Bans Drive Vapers Back to Smoking, Warns Vaping Association
Street Interviews Shed Light on Vape Market Trends and Preferences in and beyond UK
*This article is an original article of 2FIRSTS Technology Co., Ltd. The copyright and license rights belong to the company. Any entity or individual shall make link and credit 2FIRSTS when taking actions to copy, reprint or distribute the original article. The company retains the right to pursue its legal responsibility.