The UK will announce details of its Vape ban on Sep 6
The U.K. government plans to release specific details about the disposable vape ban on Friday (6), which is expected to take effect on April 1, 2025, and provide a six-month transition period, according to a source at a leading vape distributor.
According to Better Retailing According to a Sept. 3 report, the U.K. government plans to release an update on Friday (6) that will end speculation among retailers and suppliers about the scope and timing of this anticipated legislation regarding the planned ban on disposable vapes.
The UK government will set an April 1, 2025 date for the ban to take effect, according to a source at a leading vape distributor. Several vape companies, including Phoenix 2 including Retail, and JUUL, have said they have not received any information from the government since the July election, leaving the fate of some previously shelved legislation up in the air.
Dealers have a six-month buffer period
One source said:
- We have been reliably informed that the government will provide an update on the disposable vape ban this Friday, Sep 6,” he said.
It is widely believed in the industry that the ban will take effect on April 1 and that a six-month transition period will be implemented from that date, during which retailers must stop selling disposable vapes.
Guidance on the definition of “disposable” vapes has already been released in advance, although a start date for the ban is expected to be set on Friday. However, Better Retailing understands from vape distributors that they are still seeking clarification from Trading Standards to prevent ambiguity in the forthcoming legislation.
One source said:
- “Because this is a law and regulation, laws and regulations are always open to a lot of interpretation. We are submitting all our products to Trading Standards and the Chartered Trading Standards Institute. (CTSI) for a compliance review.
The forecast notice will identify that Labour’s version of the proposal includes the same restrictions introduced by the previous Conservative government. The Minister will announce details of powers to restrict the display and packaging of vapes and to uphold the previous government’s ‘Smokefree Generation’ measures at a later stage of the consultation. Another government body wants to brief the Minister on the advantages of licensing vapes, a measure that was not considered under the previous Conservative government.
A spokesperson for the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) told Better Retailing:
- “The key point is that the disposable vape ban will be introduced using existing legislation, i.e. secondary legislation, while the Cigarettes and Vapes Bill will use its separate proposals.”
