Recently formed Global Institute for Novel Nicotine (GINN) has urged the Government not to press ahead with flavour, packaging and display bans on vapes, nicotine pouches and heat-not-burn products.

GINN was formed earlier this year, counting major distributors to local stores such as Phoenix 2 Retail and Vape Supplier among its founding members. Speaking to Better Retailing last week, director Shem Baldeosingh warned that planned restrictions on alternative nicotine products would harm efforts to help smokers move to less harmful products.

While the last Government’s Tobacco and Vapes Bill, including restrictions on displays, flavours and packaging for nicotine products failed to pass before the election, Labour has promised to revive the restrictions in its manifesto.

GINN consultant Tommy Gilchrist added: “In vapes, adult consumers have a wide preference for flavours, so tobacco only vapes are not viable if you want people to quit smoking, fewer than 5% of the population like them. We’re looking at an evidence review of nicotine pouch consumption and we’re seeing the same patterns already – strong demand for mint, berry and citrus, so we’ll be standing up for these flavours in a responsible way.”

GINN explained that treating all nicotine products in the same way as tobacco products would make it difficult to explain the harm reduction benefits of switching.

Support for local shops

Through its distributor members’ retail teams, GINN also vowed to support local shop owners, stating: “Local shop owners are probably some of the most over-stretched and over-regulated people in the UK and the world, they’ve got to consider so many aspects. We’ll be keeping it simple. Your readers can expect to see clear communication on what these products are and how to sell them.”

GINN is also working to launch a website with a database of available products and guides on how to sell them. The group also invited local shop owners to consider becoming GINN members.

The tools will support retailers in dealing with the upcoming disposable vape ban, which Gilchrist described as ‘the biggest disruption to the nicotine market for a long time.’ He added: “consumers aren’t ready for what’s coming. They simply don’t know their usual products won’t be available.”

While he forecasted many would switch to pod-based vapes, Baldeosingh said there was ‘no one product that will appeal to everyone’ and that a range of other nicotine products would be vital.

The next product to be targeted by legislation

Baldeosingh also warned pod devices may find themselves the next segment to be targeted by legislation, warning: “Pods themselves have a nightmare coming down the track, we did research on recycling and the problem with disposables is that they are recyclable, they’re just not recycled, whereas pods cannot be recycled. The Government is going to find that by shifting people to pod based system it will create a headache a year-to-18 months down the line. They could be the next thing that gets banned.”

As well as providing material to stores, research being conducted by GINN will be shared with politicians, to overcome what Baldeosingh described as ‘a major knowledge gap’. The GINN representatives explained that many of the most experienced politicians in vaping and nicotine had lost their seats at the General Election, potentially creating an opportunity for a much wider consultation ahead of a new tobacco and vapes bill being brought forward by the new government.

Despite the opposition to product restrictions, GINN said it ‘wholeheartedly’ backed measures to prevent youth access, including responsible packaging, marketing, placement in stores and potentially a licencing system for retailers. GINN added that it does not offer membership to or take funding from tobacco companies.

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