Well-known British e-cigarette distributor: The government will announce the details of the ban on September 6, and there is expected to be a 6-month buffer period

Well-known British e-cigarette distributor: The government will announce the details of the ban on September 6, and there is expected to be a 6-month buffer period

According to a source from a well-known e-cigarette distributor, the British government plans to announce the specific details of the disposable e-cigarette ban on Friday (6th), which is expected to take effect from April 1, 2025, with a 6-month buffer period.

 

According to Better Retailing on September 3, the British government plans to announce the latest news on the proposed disposable e-cigarette ban on Friday (6th) to end retailers and suppliers' speculation about the scope and timing of the expected legislation.

 

According to a source from a well-known e-cigarette distributor, the British government will confirm that the ban will take effect on April 1, 2025. Several e-cigarette companies, including Phoenix 2 Retail and JUUL, said they have not received any information from the government since the July election, leaving the fate of some previously shelved legislation undecided.

 

A source said,

 

"We are reliably informed that the government will provide an update on the disposable e-cigarette ban on Friday, September 6."

 

It is widely believed in the industry that the ban will come into force on April 1, with a six-month wind-down period from that date during which retailers must stop selling disposable e-cigarettes.

 

While the start date of the ban is expected to be confirmed on Friday, guidance on the definition of "disposable" e-cigarettes has been released in advance. However, Better Retailing has heard from e-cigarette distributors that they are still seeking clarification from Trading Standards in case there is ambiguity in the upcoming legislation.

 

A source said,

 

"Because this is a regulation and regulations are always subject to multiple interpretations, we are referring all products to Trading Standards and the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) for compliance review."

 

The expected announcement will confirm that the Labour version of the bill contains the same restrictions introduced by the previous Conservative government. Details on the power to restrict the display, packaging and flavours of e-cigarettes, as well as maintaining the previous government's "smoke-free generation" measures, will be announced by ministers at a later date and will go to the consultation stage. Other government departments are looking to brief ministers on the merits of a licensing system for e-cigarettes, a measure that was not considered under the previous Conservative government.

 

A spokesperson for the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) told Better Retailing,

"The key point is that the ban on disposable e-cigarettes will be introduced through existing legislation, i.e. secondary regulation, while the tobacco and e-cigarette bill will be introduced through its own separate bill."