On February 23, the Scottish government announced relevant regulations for a ban on disposable e-cigarettes and held a two-week brief consultation on plans to implement the ban. The government stated that the ban on disposable e-cigarettes will come into effect across the UK on April 1, 2025.
A Scottish Government statement said: “While each country will need to enact separate legislation banning the sale and supply of disposable e-cigarettes, governments have worked together to agree a date for the ban to come into effect to provide certainty for businesses and consumers.”
The move boosts recommendations for a ban on disposable e-cigarettes made at last year’s “Creating a Tobacco-Free Generation and Addressing Youth Vaping” consultation in Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It is understood that the draft legislation on the ban on disposable e-cigarettes will be open for public comment before March 8. Scotland is using the powers conferred by the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to advance the draft legislation.
Circular Economy Minister Lorna Slater said: “Legislation to ban the sale and supply of disposable e-cigarettes delivers on the Government’s commitment to reduce the use of e-cigarettes by non-smokers and young people and take action to address their environmental impact.” Last year it was estimated that consumption in Scotland and more than 26 million disposable e-cigarettes discarded.
The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) has called on the Scottish Government to consider the impact of its proposed ban on disposable e-cigarettes on the illegal market. New consumer polling commissioned by ACS shows that the ban will lead to a significant growth in the illegal e-cigarette market, with 24% of existing adult disposable e-cigarette users in the UK seeking to source their products from the illegal market.
James Lowman, chief executive of ACS, said: “The Scottish Government should not rush into implementing a ban on disposable e-cigarettes without proper consultation with industry and a clear understanding of the impact of the illegal e-cigarette market, which already accounts for a large proportion of the UK e-cigarette market. One-third of the cigarette market. Policymakers have not considered how e-cigarette users will respond to the ban and how the ban will expand the already huge illegal e-cigarette market.”
“We need a clear plan to communicate this policy change to consumers without compromising smoke-free goals, as our research also shows that 8% of disposable e-cigarette users will return to e-cigarettes following the ban. Tobacco products.”
The UK government is expected to announce details of its proposals to ban disposable e-cigarettes in the coming days, and we will continue to monitor this.
Post time: Mar-06-2024
