Tobacco and Vapes: Packaging, Appearance and Display - Consultation Response
Published: 10th September 2026
Introduction
Smoking and wider tobacco use remains a significant public health concern. While adult smoking prevalence continues to decrease across the UK, the Office for National Statistics’ (ONS) Adult smoking habits in the UK: 2024 reported that 5.3 million people aged 18 years or over were current smokers. This was 10.6% of adults across the UK, and:
10.4% in England
12% in Scotland
11.4% in Wales
10.5% in Northern Ireland
As part of this consultation, views are sought on proposals for UK restrictions on:
tobacco packaging
vaping and nicotine products
appearance of heated tobacco devices and vaping devices
retail display of tobacco, vaping and nicotine products
Only nicotine products that are not medicinally licensed are covered in this consultation.
Whilst Community Pharmacy is not impacted by many of the proposals, the sector is specifically singled out for an exemption to the display restrictions for vaping and nicotine products to allow for a limited display of vaping and nicotine products inside community pharmacies.
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Disagree.
Please explain your answer. This could include, for example, why you think certain exemptions should or should not be considered as well as any additional exemptions you think are necessary. (Optional, maximum 600 words. Please do not include any personal information in your response.)
Despite some disputed evidence suggesting e-cigarettes are safer for use than cigarettes, the World Health Organisation (WHO) have previously taken a clear stance on the use of e-cigarettes / vapes. They state the following:“High quality epidemiology studies consistently demonstrate that e-cigarettes use increases conventional cigarette uptake, particularly among non-smoking youths, by nearly 3 times. Evidence reveals that these products are harmful to health and are not safe. However, it is too early to provide a clear answer on the long-term impact of using them or being exposed to them. Whilst long-term health effects are not fully known, we do know that they generate toxic substances, some of which are known to cause cancer and some that increase the risk of heart and lung disorders. Electronic delivery systems have also been linked to a number of physical injuries, including burns from explosions or malfunctions, when the products are not of the expected standard or are tampered with by users.
E-cigarettes as consumer products have not been proven to be effective for cessation at the population level. Instead, alarming evidence on adverse population health effects is mounting.
To truly help tobacco users quit and to strengthen global tobacco control, governments need to scale up policies and interventions that we know work. Tried and tested interventions, such as brief advice from health professionals, national toll-free quit lines and mobile and digital cessation services are recommended. Where economically feasible, governments should also consider promoting nicotine replacement therapies and non-nicotine pharmacotherapies for cessation.”
Furthermore, in December 2023, WHO issued a Call to Action clearly stating that countries do not pursue a smoking cessation strategy that permits commercialization of e-cigarettes as consumer products. Any cessation objective utilizing these products should carefully weigh national circumstances and the risk of uptake, and exhaust other proven cessation strategies. The conditions under which the products are accessed for cessation should be controlled to ensure appropriate clinical conditions, and the products should be regulated as medicines, rather than their sale being permitted as consumer products.
We believe that Community Pharmacy is a trusted and respected resource for Smoking Cessation and given the above, the evidence is not strong enough to support the safe use of e-cigarettes and their role in a structured cessation programme at this time. Therefore, there is no requirement for the Community Pharmacy setting to be exempt from the display restrictions detailed within the Consultation. However, this position, as with most areas of development within healthcare, is subject to review and may change if evidence supports such.
Community Pharmacy Scotland’s response to the UK-wide consultation on Tobacco and Vapes: Packaging, Appearance and Display.