As the industry holds its breath in a haze of weary anticipation regarding speculation over a potential ban on disposable vapes, the community weighs in their thoughts on the matter at hand.
With a swirling worry around nicotine dependence and the accessibility to those that are underage, the UK government has announced plans to review the current restrictions and laws surrounding single-use vapes.
However, regardless of the known benefits, a wave of concern has hit the nation following awareness that vapes – particularly disposables – are being used by not just the intended audience.
Health experts up and down the country have begun jumping onto the bandwagon with fears of youth vaping becoming an epidemic – with little consideration around adult smokers looking to effectively put an end to their deadly habit.
Disposable vapes – especially those of the sweet and fruity kind – have formed an integral part of the journey current and ex-smokers have used in their fight for a tobacco-free life.
One vaping company caught smack bang in the middle is Supreme – who had recently donated £350,000 to the Conservative party back in May of this year.
The Manchester-based company is currently one of the biggest UK suppliers, with their single-use vapes available in the likes of Tesco, Morrisons, and B&M.
Since the news broke earlier this week of the talks at Westminster, Supreme has seen a 15 percent (£20m) loss of their shares.
In a statement issued on September 13, Supreme expressed they were confident that vaping will continue to be ‘the most credible and effective alternative to cigarettes’ even with a now uncertain future.
The statement went on to say:
“Supreme welcomes any government initiative that seeks to tackle underage vaping.
“Supreme’s overarching strategy has always been to support a tobacco-free UK by offering both credible and safer alternatives for nicotine consumption and to-date.
“Supreme’s own brand, 88Vape, with approximately 1.3 million regular users, has played a significant role in assisting people in quitting smoking.
“The UK Government, in its April 2023 ‘Achieving Smoke-free 2030’ initiative, confirmed its view that vaping remains ‘the most effective’ tool to ease smokers away from cigarettes.”
In the unfortunate event of a ban on single-use vapes, Supreme along with other vaping companies, expect the vast majority of their consumers to shift to alternative forms of vaping such as refillable devices.
But what about those relying on disposables to maintain their tobacco-sobriety?
A recent YouGov poll commissioned by Supreme suggests that more than six percent of former smokers who now vape would opt to return to combustible cigarettes if disposable vapes were no longer legally available.
The negative domino effect of the ban doesn’t just stop there…
Scott Butler, executive director at Material Focus, an environmental charity, is worried that a ban could also lead to ‘hard to control illegal sales and an established illegal vape market’.
He said:
“If the legitimate industry is banned, then there will be no mechanism to deal with all the operational challenges and costs of illegally sold vapes which have the same challenges.”
The gravity of this situation is without a doubt hard to process for the vaping community, with the full scale of its effects unknown.
A verdict from the government is expected soon, which could prove detrimental in the fight against tobacco-related health issues and fatalities.
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