Vape Club Comments on the Vape Bill
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill had its third and final reading in the Commons last week, with MPs voting 366 to 41, approving the bill for transition to the House of Lords
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by Dave Cross
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The Tobacco and Vapes Bill had its third and final reading in the Commons last week, with MPs voting 366 to 41, approving the bill for transition to the House of Lords. Dan Marchant, CEO and founder of the UK’s largest vaping retailer, Vape Club, has commented on how the final reading and the Bill's transfer to the House of Lords is going to impact the vaping industry and the UK's journey to becoming smokefree by 2030.
Dan Marchant, Director at Vape Club, and founding member of the UKVIA, says: “As leaders in the vaping industry, we wholeheartedly support measures to protect public health, including a strong stance on restricting youth access to vaping products. Vaping has been a great British success story and has helped large numbers of smokers quit cigarettes, and is an incredibly effective harm reduction tool. While the Tobacco and Vapes Bill has noble intentions, it falls short of addressing the real issues.
“Enacting additional laws will not make these actions ‘more illegal’. The real issue lies in the inadequate enforcement of current regulations and penalties for those in violation of the law, particularly when it comes to underage and illicit vape sales.
“With the disposable vape ban coming into force, we risk a new generation of illegal and potentially dangerous vaping products in the UK, all because the core of the issue has not been addressed. This boils down to lacklustre fines and little structure to provide Trading Standards with adequate funding.
“Trading Standards have made commendable efforts, but after over a decade of underfunding, the necessary resources and personnel to confront these challenges effectively are sorely lacking. The UKVIA revealed that, despite a £30m boost in funding, committed by the UK government, only a third of this would have been designated to Trading Standards.* Without proper enforcement, further legislation risks being little more than a headline-grabbing exercise that does little actually to protect the public in the long run.
“This is why we are continuing to call for a Licensing Framework, which offers a clear, enforceable alternative. This framework would equip Trading Standards with the necessary tools and authority to take decisive action, ensuring that unscrupulous.” traders face significant penalties. It has the potential to close existing loopholes and create a stronger deterrent against illegal activities, all without imposing any cost on taxpayers. It’s a necessary step forward which would help safeguard public health, all the while supporting the UK’s goal of being smoke-free by 2030.”
References:
- Vape Club - https://www.vapeclub.co.uk/
Photo Credit:
Image supplied by Vape Club
Dave Cross
Journalist at POTVDave is a freelance writer; with articles on music, motorbikes, football, pop-science, vaping and tobacco harm reduction in Sounds, Melody Maker, UBG, AWoL, Bike, When Saturday Comes, Vape News Magazine, and syndicated across the Johnston Press group. He was published in an anthology of “Greatest Football Writing”, but still believes this was a mistake. Dave contributes sketches to comedy shows and used to co-host a radio sketch show. He’s worked with numerous start-ups to develop content for their websites.
