Tobacco firm demands stricter rules on vaping with licensing similar to alcohol

02 December 2023 , 11:07

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A study by ASH found that 20.5% of children have tried vaping, up from 15.8% in 2022 (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

A major tobacco manufacturing company has urged "more stringent" regulations on vaping, involving a licensing regime similar to cigarettes and alcohol.

British American Tobacco (BAT) wants vape sellers to be licensed, and for permissions to be stripped from firms caught selling to under-18s. It also wants a ban on sweet flavours such as gummy bear or cotton candy, which the company says "uniquely" targets children.

The third-largest seller of vapes in the UK according to market research firm NielsenIQ, BAT's vaping subsidiary, Velo, doesn't sell these flavours. But the fruity and sweet tastes available on the market have been a factor in the staggering success of their competitors, including Elfbar and SKE.

Campaigners fear vape flavours like cotton candy and gummy bear are getting children hooked on nicotine (Getty Images)

A 2023 study by anti-smoking public health charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) found that 20.5% of children have tried vaping - up from 15.8% in 2022 and 13.9 in 2020 before the first COVID lockdown. Only one in five children said they'd never seen vapes promoted, down from 31% last year.

The most popular flavours were fruit (60%) followed by sweet or soft drink (25%). The Local Government Association has called for a ban on single-use disposable vapes by 2024 amid concerns about their environmental unsustainability and the fire risk posed by small lithium batteries in bin lorries.

Warnings over vaping amid Government plan to wean a million smokers off tobacco

Asli Ertonguc, BAT lead for the UK, said: "We recognise that some want single-use vapes banned altogether. But we are concerned such a move would lead to unregulated sales, and less options for adult smokers looking to switch."

BAT also wants to ban cartoon imagery on vape packets but does not support a ban on colourful packaging, nor on advertising or sports sponsorship. The company's Velo brand has sponsored the motor racing team McLaren since February 2019.

Holding just over 12.2% of the global cigarette market in 2020, BAT is the second largest international tobacco company in the world after Philip Morris International (PMI). The Department of Health and Social Care's open consultation on creating a smoke-free generation and tackling youth vaping ends on December 6 and legislation in England, Scotland and Wales is expected "as soon as possible" afterwards.

Mizy Judah Clifton