UKVIA: Impact and Recommendations of E-Cigarette on Youth

Lately, there have been numerous reports in the UK regarding disposable e-cigarettes, with the focus on their rampant use in schools, misleading flavors, and marketing tactics targeting minors. In response to this, John Dunne, Chairman of the UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA), expressed his concerns about the negative portrayal of e-cigarettes in an email interview with 2FIRSTS on October 9th. He also offered some suggestions to e-cigarette brands operating in the UK.

According to a report by Sky News on October 6th, the use of e-cigarettes in British schools has become widespread. For example, one school installed e-cigarette sensors in its bathrooms, and on the first day of installation, the sensors triggered 112 alerts. This particular school has a student population of 1000, with the youngest student found using an e-cigarette being just 11 years old.

Recently, the American Broadcasting Company also reported on the issue of campus electronic cigarettes. British Prime Minister Sunak said that the government will implement measures to restrict the availability of e-cigarettes. In the UK, it is illegal to sell e-cigarettes to children under the age of 18. However, officials have stated that in the past three years, the use of e-cigarettes among teenagers has tripled, with now more children using e-cigarettes than smoking cigarettes. The government will consider some options, including restricting flavored e-cigarettes, as well as adjusting product packaging and in-store displays to reduce the appeal of e-cigarettes to young people.

According to a report from American Broadcasting Corporation, following the announcement of strict regulation on the sale of e-cigarettes by Sunak, the stock prices of British American Tobacco immediately dropped by 1%, while Imperial Tobacco witnessed a decline of 2.4%.

In response to the recent surge in e-cigarette-related issues, 2FIRSTS sent an interview email to the UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) on October 8, inquiring about their strategies. On October 9, John Dunne, the chairman of the association, replied to the email stating, "Indeed, there has been a lot of such news circulating recently. The issue of youth vaping has become a hot topic among regulatory authorities and the media in the UK. These media reports have had a significantly negative impact on the perception of the e-cigarette industry.

Duncan warned e-cigarette brand manufacturers against illegally importing e-cigarettes into the UK. They were advised to reassess the packaging of their products, avoiding the use of packaging with cartoon characters or designs that excessively appeal to young people. They were also urged to carefully examine the flavor names being used, avoiding the use of well-known candy names. Additionally, companies were required to cease posting illegal advertisements on social media platforms, especially on popular platforms like TikTok that are frequently accessed by children.