British supermarket chain Waitrose has stopped selling disposable e-cigarette products because of their negative impact on the environment and the health of young people.
The popularity of products such as e-cigarettes has soared in the past year, with the use of e-cigarettes hitting a record high in the UK. According to a recent report, about 4.3 million people regularly use e-cigarettes.
The company said it no longer justifies the sale of disposable products and has stopped selling two types of e-cigarettes.
“Our action comes amid reports that the prevalence of former non-smokers is driving market growth,” it said.
Waitrose said it had removed lithium-containing vaping products that had previously been sold under the Ten Motives label.
Charlotte Di Cello, the company’s commercial director, said: “We are a retailer that is doing the right thing, so we cannot justify the sale of disposable e-cigarettes given the impact on the environment and the health of young people.
“We’ve decided it’s not right to stockpile the rapidly growing trendy brightly colored devices, so this decision is the last piece of the puzzle in our clear decision not to be part of the disposable e-cigarette market.”
No other major UK supermarket chain has publicly announced they will take similar action.
Figures from the ONS last month showed that the proportion of British smokers has fallen to its lowest level in 2021, partly due to the rise of vaping.
Vaping devices such as e-cigarettes have played a major role in reducing smoking rates in the UK, the ONS said.
However, it added that the proportion of e-cigarette users was highest among current smokers at 25.3%, compared with 15% among former smokers. Only 1.5% of never smokers said they had vaped.
E-cigarettes are considered far less harmful than smoking, but action is needed to tackle a sharp rise in children’s use of vaping, according to a major review of nicotine products.
Although it is illegal to sell e-cigarettes to people under the age of 18, research shows that underage vaping has increased dramatically over the past five years, with 16 percent of 16- to 18-year-olds saying they vape. has doubled over the past 12 months, according to Action on Smoking and Health.
Elf Bar, one of the leading brands of disposable e-cigarettes, was previously found to have violated regulations by promoting its products to young people on TikTok.
Post time: Jan-03-2023
