The vape industry is ‘extremely disappointed’ that the UK government does not deem vape shops to be an essential service, the UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) has said.
UKVIA director general John Dunne made the statement ahead of a second nationwide lockdown that will see all but sellers of essential goods and services shut down from November 5 until December 2.
The trade body ‘recognise(s) the predicament the government faces,’ Dunne said. However, he argued that the decision was at odds with Public Health England’s acknowledgement earlier this year that vaping provides a key role in helping smokers stay free of tobacco.
Dunne also noted that vape shops do not typically experience large volumes of people and are equipped to manage social distancing.
He said:
“Only last month the Government-backed Stoptober campaign was encouraging smokers to quit, including through taking up vaping.
“Those who took up the challenge during the month now do not have access to the same level of support and products from their local vape stores.
“We will be making these points strongly to government on behalf of the industry and asking them to reconsider their stance on vape stores and reclassify them as essential in future.
UKVIA is to launch an industry-wide campaign this week to promote the online and delivery services provided by vape retailers.
Dunne said that it was vital that vapers do not revert back to smoking during the ‘stressful’ lockdown period.
“These are undoubtedly tough times for any industry and the vaping sector is no exception.
“The industry proved to be incredibly agile during the first lockdown and I am sure it will rise to the challenge again this time around.
“As a FMCG sector it will be important for the vaping industry to reopen for business in early December, the target date for the end of the second lockdown, so it can maximize sales in the lead up to Xmas and safeguard the thousands of people it employs in the manufacture, wholesale, quality control and retail of vape products.”
John Dunne, UKVIA
The government made the decision to introduce a nationwide lockdown following a huge rise in cases across the UK and abroad.
Along with the closure of all non-essential retailers, members of the public will be encouraged to stay at home wherever possible.
However, those unable to work from home will be allowed travel to and from work and schools and universities will remain open.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.