Vaping is a potential method for those trying to quit smoking to find a healthier alternative however stigma passed on from smoking has made the idea of letting people ADV (all day vape) leave a bitter taste in the mouth. In the UK a law was passed in 2016 which greatly restricts the methods of which e-cigarettes, mods and separate components can be advertised. So be wary and if you intend to sell e-cigarettes or create a vaping event be sure to look out for these nasty conditions. Here is our overview of UK law on the advertising of e-cigarettes and their effect on e-liquid manufacturers and vape mod producers.
The ban on advertising of e-cigarettes has hit e-cigarette suppliers and producers hard by banning the advertisement of e-cigarettes in the following places: in the press, in information society services, sponsorship of events, and as product placement on television. No product placement in the press means that advertisements for e-cigarettes or e-cigarette refill cartridges cannot be placed in newspapers, magazines or periodicals. This makes it hard to find reliable dealers for e-cigarettes as to find them easily we must find non-local distributers as well as lesser certified distributers which risks the health and safety of the vaping community. This also hits small local shops trying to inform vapers of their presence as they can’t even advertise in their local newspaper or almost any trustworthy/official text medium. Since vaping is new this can potentially hurt cigarette users looking for new ways to quit as smoking has been around for a long time and is much more established. This also completely removes the idea of making a vaping magazine in which both e-cigarette refill cartridges and e-cigarettes can be advertised in fact making a vaping magazine with almost any advertisements for vaping products would most likely be banned. This forces the vaping community to one medium the internet.
The ban on advertising in information society services even makes vaping on the internet hard as it affects all those who are not professionally in the trade of e-cigarettes or e-cigarette refill containers. The banning of advertisement through radio and in some cases internet makes finding products for this new community even harder. By banning advertising through communication services the government is not even letting e-cigarettes catch on forcing those who want to quit analog smoking to stick with it or have to do rigorous searching or buy from other countries with a ridiculously long wait time. The EU in general seems very interested in preventing vaping from spreading at all by passing the TRPR or Tobacco and Related Products Regulation. While tobacco is in the name the movement is slowing the availability and mobility of all products from liquids to vapes. They are also removing much choice from anyone who enjoys their freedom to choose the size of their tanks and the concentration of their nicotine. Most parts require approval to enter countries and they have set limits on nicotine concentration and tank size making vaping more inconvenient by the day.
The ban of advertising in sponsored events hits the vaping community in the UK hard. There may soon no longer be events dedicated to informing all the vapers in the UK about a new product related to e-cigarettes whether in an on screen event or in a gathering. Vaping conventions may also become much more expensive for the attendee. They may soon not even allow the community to gather to celebrate this hobby and examine new products in the future. This could reduce the viability of conventions in the UK. While the law has done some negative things for advertising it has done a couple positive things for consumers concerned about their health. It is important to make sure that the following rules regarding the labelling of the products by ensuring that the information about an herbal product is factual and does not lie about things such as after effects of smoking the product. It is also important to make sure you state about specific ingredients like nicotine and tar.
Nonetheless this blockade into getting new info about products in the UK will greatly affect those just dipping their feet into the vaping community. Without any advertising about new products and ways to vape many will lose interest before they even get a chance to see their clouds all over the sky. The governments restrictions on advertising are threatening to stamp out the vaping community before it can even build up enough of a following to stand against these laws which threaten the community and future of vape.