Today is officially the day where the Tobacco Products Directive comes into force. As you should know by now the TPD has caused a storm in the vaping world and the debates still continue, and will do for some time. Consumers won’t see the full effects of the new directives until well into the second half of 2016, as retailers have 12 months to sell the remainder of their stock. When stocks are sold though, we’ll see big changes for vaping and it’ll be interesting to see how many e liquid manufacturers are still trading this time next year.
Changes Include:
- Maximum 2 ml tank size
- Maximum nicotine strength 20mg
- List of ingredients on e liquid packaging (means higher prices.)
- Child-proof e liquid bottles (means higher prices.)
- Notifications/tests/data on all liquids and products (means higher prices and will drive many small importers and manufacturers out of business.)
Some of the changes aren’t necessarily bad, but will definitely send prices upwards. Along with a whole list of new laws there’s also a ban on advertising vaping products.
It is now illegal to advertise e cigarettes on:
- Broadcast TV as an advert or sponsorship
- As a product placement on broadcast TV
- On the radio as an advert or sponsorship
- On on-demand TV as an advert, sponsorship or product placement
- In newspapers, magazines and periodicals, except for trade publications and non-EU publications
With internet display adverts, over email or by text messaging, except for trade and non-EU publications - As an ad or promotion on a company’s own website or on any other non-paid-for online space under their control – however, strictly factual ‘how to’ videos are permitted.
Advertising isn’t completely banned, but the comparison between tobacco and vaping is for some strange reason. Manufacturers are now forbidden from stating the facts laid out by the NHS, Royal College of Physicians and many other eminent scientific bodies, that vaping is better for your health than smoking.
As Richard Hyslop, chief executive of the Independent British Vape Trade Association stated:
“Vaping is now recognised by the UK Government as the most popular form of support to stop smoking. But, with virtually all forms of advertising for vape products being banned how are smokers to be exposed to vaping?”
This is a true story and one which may end with fewer smokers switching to vaping. A fact which is crazy considering the NHS have stated it’s 95% better for your health. Fewer smokers switching to vaping can only amount to higher strains on our health system. It’s a crazy notion set out by the EU, and only they can truly understand what they’re trying to achieve with all this.
But anyway, advertising is still permitted on:
- Blogs, Tweets, and other independently compiled, non-paid-for reviews
- In the e-cigarette trade press and in trade-to-trade communications
- At the cinema
- In faxes
- On posters on the sides of buses that are not travelling outside of the UK
- On leaflets
- In direct, hard-copy mail
So you can rest assured Smokshop will still be bring you cold hard facts, and the latest news in our blog.
There’s been a huge uproar around the TPD ever since it was first drafted in 2014. Totally Wicked tried to appeal the decision, but that got overruled. So for now we have to face facts and all fall in line with what our EU ‘partners’ demand of us. Where the Brexit case in June is going to throw in a few twists still remains to be seen.
If you like your big tanks or strong juices though we would recommend you get buying fast, as once these products are gone, they’re gone.
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