1. What Can We Learn from Alternative Nicotine
Product Usage in Other Countries?
United Kingdom
Clive Bates
Counterfactual Consulting, London
FDLI Tobacco and Nicotine Products Regulation and Policy Conference
29 October 2021

2. Smoking and vaping 2019 – Great Britain (ONS)
ONS, E-cigarette use in Great Britain in 2019, July 2020
~3m vapers
~8m smokers
2

3. 2030 goal “make smoking products obsolete”
5% prevalence
Two-thirds cut
3
ONS, E-cigarette use in Great Britain in 2019, July 2020

4. 10-year adult smoking prevalence trend
4
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
%
cigarette
smokers
(3
month
moving
average)
~One-third cut
University College London, Smoking in England, Smoking Toolkit Survey, 2020 (England)

5. Adult e-cigarette users by smoking status, Great Britain 2014-21
“Dual use” in context
Dual use has declined over time
Source: Action on Smoking and Health (UK) and YouGov - E-cigarette Use By Adults 2021

6. UK compared to USA
1. Split competence / Brexit

7. UK compared to USA
1. Split competence / Brexit
2. Notification vs authorisation

8. UK compared to USA
1. Split competence / Brexit
2. Notification vs authorisation
3. Category-wide approach

9. UK compared to USA
1. Split competence / Brexit
2. Notification vs authorisation
3. Category-wide approach
4. Product standards

10. UK compared to USA
1. Split competence / Brexit
2. Notification vs authorisation
3. Category-wide approach
4. Product standards
• Notification – ingredients, toxicology,
pharmacology, production process
• Technical design restrictions and requirements
• Leaflet, packaging and warning
• Advertising, promotion, sponsorship
• Cross border sales
• Disclosure commercial data
• Market surveillance
• Public disclosure of commercial data
• Surveillance for adverse effects

11. UK compared to USA
1. Split competence / Brexit
2. Notification vs authorisation
3. Category-wide approach
4. Product standards
5. Nicotine cap
Max 20mg/ml (~2%)
“This concentration allows for a
delivery of nicotine that is
comparable to the permitted dose
of nicotine derived from a
standard cigarette during the time
needed to smoke such a
cigarette.”
Source: TPD 20(3)(b) TPD recital 38

12. UK compared to USA
1. Split competence / Brexit
2. Notification vs authorisation
3. Category-wide approach
4. Product standards
5. Nicotine cap
6. Marketing restrictions
Cross border advertising
promotion and sponsorship for all
tobacco and vaping products is
prohibited at EU level.
Source: Tobacco Advertising Directive 2002, TPD Article 20(5)

13. UK compared to USA
1. Split competence / Brexit
2. Notification vs authorisation
3. Category-wide approach
4. Product standards
5. Nicotine cap
6. Marketing restrictions
 Don’t be socially irresponsible
 Don’t target or feature children
 Don’t confuse e-cigarettes with tobacco products
 Don’t make health or safety claims
 Don’t make smoking cessation claims
 Don’t mislead about product ingredients
 Don’t mislead about where products may be use

14. UK compared to USA
1. Split competence / Brexit
2. Notification vs authorisation
3. Category-wide approach
4. Product standards
5. Nicotine cap
6. Marketing restrictions
7. Reduced risk claims
Manufacturers must not suggest:
“that a particular tobacco product
is less harmful than others or aims
to reduce the effect of some
harmful components of smoke”
Source: TPD 13(1)(b) applied to vaping products via 20(4)(b)(ii)

15. UK compared to USA
1. Split competence / Brexit
2. Notification vs authorisation
3. Category-wide approach
4. Product standards
5. Nicotine cap
6. Marketing restrictions
7. Reduced risk claims
8. Tax 0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
United Kingdom United States
Price of 20 Marlboro USD
Source: Numbeo

16. Major difference in UK
1. Split competence / Brexit
2. Notification vs authorisation
3. Category-wide approach
4. Product standards
5. Nicotine cap
6. Marketing restrictions
7. Reduced risk claims
8. Tax
9. Attitude

17. UK compared to USA
1. Split competence / Brexit
2. Notification vs authorisation
3. Category-wide approach
4. Product standards
5. Nicotine cap
6. Marketing restrictions
7. Reduced risk claims
8. Tax
9. Attitude
Thank you!
Clive Bates
Counterfactual
clivedbates@gmail.com
www.clivebates.com
@clive_bates