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JTI host illicit tobacco event attended by MP and retailers
Japan Tobacco International (JTI) hosted an event in London titled ‘The £1.7 bn Hole: Crime, Illicit Trade and the Future of the High Street’ in partnership with The Times. It is reported that representatives from the government, industry and the retail were present, including Conservative MP for Windsor Jack Rankin.
Discussions focused on the impact of illicit products on legitimate retailers, communities and public finances, alongside organised crime.
JTI’s Nicky Small concluded by saying that “we’re all working together to play our part to shut this down.”
Further discussions are due to take place in Coventry and Scotland.
Source: Convenience Store, 10 September 2026
Editorial note: Tobacco companies have a long track record of presenting themselves as partners in tackling the illicit trade in order to gain access to policymakers and rehabilitate their public image. JTI’s ‘It costs more than you think’ illicit tobacco campaign is a good example of this, providing a website that urges MPs to meet with the company and a template letter that members of the public can send to their MP expressing concern. Public bodies, including trading standards, are bound by Article 5.3 of the WHO FCTC and should limit any non-essential interaction with tobacco manufacturers. Guidance on implementing Article 5.3 is available here, with specific guidance for Trading Standards here.
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Free support offered to help people who smoke in Worcester to quit
Worcester residents will soon be able to take part in a free 10-week smoking cessation course called “Smoke Free Future”, offering tailored support. Run by Worcester City Primary Care Network, the initiative will combine group sessions with one-to-one support. The programme is due to begin with an introductory session at St Wulstans Church in Cranham Drive on 14 September at 10am.
Source: Worcester News, 11 September 2026
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Nicotine pouch retailer Haypp claims new Vaping Product Duty could increase cost for people who vape by £137 a year
Nicotine pouch retailer Haypp have claimed that the new Vaping Products Duty that comes into force on 1 October 2026 will increase the cost of vaping products for the consumer by £137.28 annually. The Vaping Products Duty imposes a duty of £2.20 per 10ml of e-liquid.
Haypp calculated the figure by applying it to a £3 bottle of e-liquid, which they say will become £5.64 once the new duty and VAT are added. If one of these is purchased every week, the increased cost is £137.28 annually.
Source: The Sun, 10 September 2026
Editorial note: This article has been included to provide insight into market trends and industry developments.
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Written answers
Asked by Melanie Onn MP, Labour, Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will bring forwards the consultation on the retail licensing scheme under the Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026 to 2026.
Answered by Dame Diana Johnson MP, Minister for Public Health and Patient Safety, Labour, Kingston upon Hull North and Cottingham
We are carefully considering the responses to our October 2025 call for evidence on tobacco and vapes, including on the granting of licences, to inform our proposals for future consultation, and we will set out our plans in the normal way in due course.
The Government is investing up to £10 million of new funding per year in Trading Standards until 2028/29 to support the enforcement of illicit and underage tobacco and vape sales, and the implementation of the measures in the Tobacco and Vapes Act.
However, powers in the Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026 also allow licensing fees collected from retailers to be used by local authorities to cover the costs of administering and enforcing the scheme. This will minimise burdens on local authorities and central government, and ensure the scheme can be implemented sustainably.
See also: Written Question: Electronic Cigarettes and Tobacco: Licensing | Written Question: Retail Trade: Licensing
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Asked by Shivani Raja MP, Conservative, Leicester East
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate her department has made of the number of non-compliant disposable vape units seized by trading standards officers in Leicester over the past 12 months.
Answered by Dame Diana Johnson MP, Minister for Public Health and Patient Safety, Labour, Kingston upon Hull North and Cottingham
The Government is investing up to £10 million of new funding per year in Trading Standards until 2028/29, including to the Trading Standards team in Leicester, to support the enforcement of illicit and underage tobacco and vape sales, and the implementation of the measures in the Tobacco and Vapes Act. The requested information on the number of non-compliant single-use vapes seized by Trading Standards officers in Leicester over the past twelve months is not held by the Department.
See also: Written Question: Retail Trade: Crime
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Asked by Gill German MP, Labour, Clwyd North
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of penalties for retailers found to have sold nicotine pouches to people under the age of 18.
Answered by Dame Diana Johnson MP, Minister for Public Health and Patient Safety, Labour, Kingston upon Hull North and Cottingham
There is currently no age of sale restriction for nicotine pouches, and therefore no penalties apply. However, from 29 October 2026, it will be an offence to sell these products to a person under the age of 18 years old.
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Respond to the consultation on tobacco and vape packaging and display
The UK and devolved governments are currently consulting on further restricting the promotion of vapes, nicotine and tobacco products to protect young people. However, the industry is fighting back. Cigar and vape manufacturers are campaigning hard against the proposals – the cigar campaign claims to have elicited over 2,000 responses already. This risks skewing the consultation responses and could put the proposals at risk. We need a strong response from public health professionals, members of the public and young people to demonstrate the overwhelming public support for the proposals.
ASH is calling on everyone in the public health community to submit a supportive response to the consultation and encourage colleagues to do so. It only takes 5 mins to respond. We've created a short guide to help people respond here. The consultation closes at midnight on the 2nd October.
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ASH – Smokefree generation communications toolkit
ASH have launched the smokefree generation communications toolkit, created in partnership with Fresh and Balance and the Humber and North Yorkshire Centre for Excellence.
This communications toolkit contains guidance and resources to help you communicate about the smokefree generation policy as we move closer to its implementation on 1st January 2027.
The toolkit has been designed for anyone who has a role to play in implementing the smokefree generation policy in England, including public health and comms teams in local authorities, the NHS, regional tobacco control programmes, tobacco control leads and Trading Standards teams.
The aim of this toolkit is to help guide partners through public and partner engagement and communications. The toolkit includes core messages that your organisation can use to communicate this policy, and all the materials and resources needed to do so. An updated toolkit will become available as we move closer to the implementation date.
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ASH Daily News is a digest of published news on smoking-related topics. ASH is not responsible for the content of external websites. ASH does not necessarily endorse the material contained in this bulletin.
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