According to a report by the media Better Retailing on January 24, the British government is urgently calling for strict restrictions on the use of e-cigarettes by teenagers, and independent retailers will soon face new e-cigarette regulations.
Imperial Tobacco's head of corporate legal affairs in the UK and Ireland, Lindsay Mennell Keating, also expressed their position on the matter.
Lindsay said the UK's strict e-cigarette regulations have been in place for seven years and Imperial Tobacco's position on the issue with the government has been clear. Lindsay added, "We have been communicating with the government to express our position. We have been calling for stricter e-cigarette regulations for many years. We are pleased that they finally recognized that in order to catch up with the development of the market, relevant regulations need to be enacted."
Imperial Tobacco is completely opposed to the idea of an intergenerational smoking ban, acknowledging the need for a transition to a smoke-free future but debating how to achieve it. They argue that a generational smoking ban will aggravate the illegal trade problems already plaguing retailers, could lead to more organized crime and make it more difficult for retailers to determine who can legally buy tobacco products.
Imperial Tobacco believes there are several ways the government can reduce the use of e-cigarettes among teenagers, and they support a ban on cartoon images, such as animals or other images that specifically or deliberately appeal to teenagers. However, they do not support plain packaging nor standardization of the device itself. As for how to reduce the sales of illegal tobacco and e-cigarettes, Imperial Tobacco advocates for the government to invest more money and improve relevant education to help determine whether a product is legal or illegal. They support the introduction of fixed fines, but they must be high enough to deter retailers from continuing to engage in illegal activity.
Today, Imperial Tobacco is constantly looking for new ways to innovate its products and ensure they are as environmentally friendly as possible. They have implemented a recycling program that applies to all vaping products, not just single-use products. They also encourage retailers and consumers to dispose of single-use products responsibly. They have some upcoming announcements that focus on the future of new products and how to address sustainability issues.
