Following what was a hugely impactful and transformative time for the sector, the UK Vaping Industry Association has published its annual report for 2023.
The document outlines the leading trade body’s activities for last year, including key stakeholder, parliamentary and media engagement, the launch of several national campaigns and changes to the membership. Major topics covered in the report include:
Save Vaping, Save Lives
The UKVIA created and submitted a comprehensive response to the government’s ‘Creating a Smokefree Generation and Tackling Youth Vaping’ consultation. As part of a package of activities, it also launched a petition which warned parliamentarians against banning or restricting disposable vapes and flavours.
UKVIA Forum and Industry Recognition Awards 2023
The UKVIA Forum, which has now become the biggest and most influential B2B event in the UK vaping calendar, returned for its seventh iteration last year – this was followed, in the evening, by the annual Industry Recognition Awards. There were more than 450 delegates in attendance across both events.
Suspect It. Report It. Sort It.
The UKVIA, last year, launched its nationwide Be Vape Vigilant initiative to encourage legitimate businesses and the general public to take action and report retailers suspected of engaging in underage and illicit vape sales. Authorities have been alerted to more than 100 potential rogue sellers through the scheme.
A Taste of the Truth
The UKVIA commissioned research from OnePoll.com which reinforced the fact that flavours play a key role in helping adult smokers quit and adult vapers stay off cigarettes. Among the findings, the survey found that 1 in 3 vapers – around 1.5 million people – fear a ban on flavours would send them back to smoking.
No to Tobacco
In September, the UKVIA announced the departure of its tobacco company members, British American Tobacco, Imperial Brands, Japan Tobacco International and Philip Morris International.
The organisation also agreed that it would no longer include any tobacco companies within its membership and, following a member-wide consultation, agreed that it would not be accepting any new applications for membership by vaping businesses wholly/part owned or acquired by tobacco companies in the future. As a result, the UKVIA currently has no tobacco company funding, nor will it in the future.
Greenprint for Sustainable Vaping
Following a first-of-its-kind environmental summit for the vape industry, the UKVIA led on efforts to reduce the sector’s impact on the planet with the release of the 22-point ‘Greenprint for Sustainable Vaping’ action plan.
The document was developed after consultation with a range of stakeholders including government, regulators, the waste industry, consumer behaviour experts and vape manufacturers and retailers.
Sustainable Vaping Week/Recycle-Vapes.co.uk
The UKVIA launched its first-ever ‘Sustainable Vaping Week’ – a new campaign to encourage consumers to recycle their vapes and the sector to be more environmentally-friendly.
The initiative followed fast on the heels of International E-Waste Day and coincided with the unveiling of the UKVIA’s new permanent vape recycling information hub – Recycle-Vapes.co.uk.
VApril 2023
The UKVIA reiterated the quitting power of vaping and helped people better understand their smoking habits as part of this year’s VApril campaign – the largest vaping education campaign in the world for smokers looking to quit. This iteration of the annual event was launched at a special Westminster parliamentary reception.
UKVIA Joins an International Coalition
In a bid to effect ‘responsible and positive change on a global scale’, the UKVIA – together with three other leading trade associations – has launched the Global Vape Alliance. The GVA is an international
coalition which is committed to promoting best industry practices and aims to ‘establish a roadmap for crafting essential future policies’.
In his foreword, UKVIA Director General John Dunne wrote: “There’s no denying that 2023 was a rollercoaster year for the UK vape sector…and while the year may be over, the period of change is only just beginning.
“We have much more work to do and whatever new challenges lie ahead in 2024 we will tackle them head on because the vape industry is now a vital tool to improve the health of the nation, create employment, support local economies and provide vital income for the exchequer.”
For further detail on the topics outlined above and more, read the UKVIA’s 2023 Annual Report here: UKVIA-Annual-Report-2022-2023-Screen-P1.pdf