UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA)

The UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) describes itself as the “country’s leading forum for supporting, developing and promoting the £1bn vaping industry” and was established in September 2016.¹

John Dunne was appointed Director General of UKVIA  in October 2020 ²

UKVIA has links to the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Vaping (E-Cigarettes)

Relationship with the Tobacco Industry

Had tobacco company members

From when it was established in 2016 until September 2023, UKVIA’s membership consisted of small independent e-cigarette manufactures and the four major tobacco companies: Japan Tobacco International (JTI), British American Tobacco (BAT), Philip Morris International (PMI),³⁴⁵⁶ and Imperial Tobacco, which was a full member by 2019, replacing their subsidiary Fontem Ventures (see figure 1).¹⁷⁸

In 2022, UKVIA stated that 13.3% of their revenue came from “vaping businesses created by the tobacco companies”.⁹ However, this figure did not appear to include revenue received from e-cigarette companies with close financial links with the tobacco industry, such as JUUL Labs and VPZ (see below).

In September 2023, UKVIA released a statement announcing that all tobacco company memberships had ended, and that the association would not be accepting any new applications for membership by vape businesses wholly/part owned or acquired by tobacco companies.¹⁰¹¹

UKVIA noted that it underestimated the impact of restrictions on tobacco companies for it to engage with key stakeholders, particularly those in public health, and stated “in order to progress the pivotal role that government sees vaping playing in a smokefree world, there is a need for heightened engagement with a range of key stakeholders including: policy makers, parliamentarians, public health officials and local authorities”.¹⁰¹¹ UKVIA’s website was also updated to announce these changes.¹²

Partnerships with organisations in other countries, which have tobacco industry members, were still listed at this time (see below).¹³

JUUL Labs 

In March 2019 it was reported that, JUUL Labs had joined UKVIA.¹⁴ JUUL Labs Inc is a San Francisco-based e-cigarette company, which was at the time 33% owned by tobacco giant Altria, and whose e-cigarette brand JUUL had received national media attention and criticism for appealing to children.¹⁵¹⁶¹⁷ The Managing Director of JUUL Labs UK said that a “crucial” reason for joining UKVIA was its new “code of conduct’’,¹⁸ requiring retailers to use the “Challenge 25” age identification system (currently used for alcohol purchases) in stores, and have an age verification system in place for online sales.¹⁴

Board members employed by the tobacco industry

Of the twenty Board Members of UKVIA listed until February 2020, four also held senior positions at tobacco companies:¹⁹

• Stephen Knowles was the Regulatory Affairs Manager at BAT to December 2019 and was previously its Regulatory Engagement & Legal Executive (2016 – 2017).¹²⁰ From December 2019 he was Key Account Manager in Ireland.²⁰
• Chris Aikens joined JTI as Government Relations Manager in September 2017, becoming Fiscal and Regulatory Affairs Manager in March 2020.²¹ Prior to this he worked in the House of Commons in various supportive roles to David Gauke MP, James Morris MP and Brandon Lewis MP.¹²¹²² (Lewis is a member of the Free Enterprise Group an “association of free-market orientated” Conservative MPs.)²³
• James Barrow joined PMI as External Affairs Lead in March 2018.¹²⁴ He appeared to have left PMI in April 2020 to work for the NHS.²⁴
• Zoe Walker-Cleave joined Imperial Tobacco in 2012 as UK Public Policy Manager.²⁵ In 2015 she became Head of Government Affairs “covering Next Generation products in addition to traditional tobacco policy”.¹²⁵

From February 2020, UKVIA no longer listed these tobacco industry employees on its website.²⁶ It was not clear whether they continued to have any formal involvement with the organisation. The link to its ‘Board members’ linked to a list of six Directors; all apart from John Dunne listed as representing e-cigarette companies.²⁶

In its 2020-2021 Annual Report UKVIA listed employees of tobacco companies and their affiliates, giving their roles in UKVIA’s various committees (figure 2 below):⁹

UKVIA Committee	PMI	BAT	JTI	Imperial Brands	JUUL	VPZ
Operations Executive	Kate Marley				Dr Marina Murphy	Douglas Mutter
Policy and Regulatory Committee	Shem Baldeosingh	Sam Millicheap	Khurram Jowiya	Victoria Hancock	Dr Marina Murphy	Douglas Mutter
Youth Access Prevention Committee	Shem Baldeosingh	Sam Millicheap	Ian Howell	Victoria Hancock	Elly Beattie	Douglas Mutter
Standards Committee		Sam Millicheap			Cole Burbidge	Douglas Mutter
Membership Committee		Sam Millicheap			Cole Burbidge

Figure 2: UKVIA committee members from tobacco companies and affiliates (Source: UKVIA annual report 2020-21)

Directors with tobacco industry links

John Dunne was Director of UKVIA until he was appointed Director General in October 2020. He had previously worked for Altria in the US for over 12 years, until he began working for e-cigarette companies in 2012.²⁷ He was Managing Director of E-Liquid Brands until July 2019.²⁷

Douglas Mutter, Manufacturing and Compliance Director at the e-cigarette retailer and manufacturer VPZ, was listed as a Director as of 2022.²⁶ The Grocer retail magazine reported that VPZ had received a £15 million loan from Philip Morris Ltd in 2018²⁸, to expand its retail stores in the UK and that it also had a distribution deal with JUUL Labs (see below).²⁸  Mutter worked for Imperial Brands e-cigarette subsidiary Fontem Ventures from 2012-2015.²⁹

Partner organisations with tobacco industry members

In 2019, UKVIA listed Vape Business Ireland and the Scottish Grocers’ Federation (SGF) as “Partners”. Both organisations have tobacco companies as members.³⁰³¹³² By August 2020 three further trade associations with tobacco industry members were added to UKVIA’s partner network: France Vapotage, Vita/Ariv in Canada, and Vapour Product Association in South Africa.³³

These organisations remained listed on UKVIA’s website as “Strategic Partners” in September 2023, after announcing that it had ended tobacco company memberships.¹³¹⁰

• See also E-cigarette Trade Organisations With Tobacco Company Members.

In February 2020, UKVIA announced on its Twitter account that Reviti had joined UKVIA as a “Supplier Member”.³⁴ Reviti is a life insurance company launched in 2019, and wholly owned by Philip Morris International. On 18 February UKVIA tweeted, quoting Reviti:

“Most other insurers treat vapers as smokers, but we don’t. We think that vaping is lower risk than cigarettes which is why we offer a lower price. We’re proud to play our part in harm reduction and support the UKVIA.”³⁴

• For more information see our page on Reviti

By mid-2020 UKVIA’s website also listed 3 organisations in China as partners: Shenzhen eCig Expo, China Electronics Chamber of Commerce and the Shenzhen E-Cigarette Chamber of Commerce (SZECCC). UKVIA signed a ‘strategic cooperation agreement’ with SZECCC in December 2019.³⁵ Membership of these organisations was not clear.

UKVIA Events Sponsored by Tobacco Industry

2018

In 2018 UKVIA hosted its first conference called ‘Going for Growth’, with PMI, Logic (a JTI brand), and blu (an Imperial brand) listed as “Support Sponsors”.³⁶

Mark Pawsey MP, Chair of the APPG and Keynote Speaker of this event, said that UKVIA had “a real opportunity to take advantage of the progressive attitude of our government and public health community to shape a bespoke regulatory regime for the future of the vaping industry’’.³⁶ Pawsey chaired a session on the “regulatory landscape” where Chris Snowdon, from the Institute of Economic Affairs said Brexit was an opportunity for the UK government to change the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD), calling it an “easy win”.³⁶ Andrew Allison, Head of Campaigns at The Freedom Association, which has often supported tobacco industry campaigns, also contributed.³⁷

Two other MPs led panel discussions. ³⁶³⁸ Gareth Johnson MP, vice-chair of the APPG, chaired a session on “whether the tobacco and pharmaceutical’s historic legacy will hinder their involvement in the vaping market”.³⁶ According to one attendee “much of the session involved the tobacco-industry representatives (British American Tobacco, Imperial Brands, Japan Tobacco International and Philip Morris International) trying to explain how they could convince smokers and public health bodies to trust their research given the distrust built up in previous years”.³⁸

Norman Lamb MP, chair of House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committee (at the time conducting an enquiry into e-cigarettes),³⁹ chaired a session on “Bolstering public health evidence on vaping”, which was addressed by Gerry Stimson, a sociologist who promotes a harm reduction approach to public health and has links with the tobacco industry.³⁶

2019

The second UKVIA Forum, in May 2019, listed BAT, Logic and blu as “supporters”.⁴⁰ UKVIA described the event as being ‘’dedicated to capturing the public health prize of vaping’’ and listed speakers/panellists including Mark Pawsey MP, Chris Snowdon, and Martin Cullip. Cullip was listed as representing the New Nicotine Alliance (a charity promoting the use of e-cigarettes as a form harm reduction).⁴⁰

UKVIA’s May conference was postponed indefinitely due to the Covid-19 pandemic.⁴¹

2020

UKVIA’s May 2020 conference was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.⁴²

The third UKVIA conference took place in July 2021. The first panel discussion, “COP9: The way forward for vaping”,⁴³ featured Chris Snowdon who criticised the WHO’s approach to vaping regulation, which he said was contradicted by the scientific evidence.⁹  Mark Pawsey MP, also on the panel, said leaving the EU was an opportunity for the UK to develop pro-vaping regulation.⁹ Jeannie Cameron, Vice President at JUUL Labs, was also on the panel.⁴³

The second panel discussion was on the use of e-cigarettes in a healthcare setting. Mark Oates, director of We Vape and Fellow at the Adam Smith Institute said the influence of the NHS would give the sector a “real boost” when it came to encouraging people to switch from smoking to vaping.⁹⁴⁴ See below for more details. Other panel members included: Douglas Mutter, Director at VPZ, and Dr Sudhanshu Patwardhan from UK company, the Centre for Health Research and Education (CHRE).⁴⁵

Other conference panellists included Daniel Pryor from the Adam Smith Institute.⁴⁶

Linked to All-Party Parliamentary Group for Vaping (E-Cigarettes)

From November 2016 until 2020, UKVIA operated as Secretariat for the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Vaping (previously named the APPG for E-cigarettes). ⁴⁷ UKVIA’s membership is made up of small independent e-cigarette companies and the four main international tobacco companies.⁴⁸

From August 2020, UKVIA was no longer listed as the contact point on the Parliamentary register, and its relationship with the APPG for Vaping was unclear.⁴⁹ As of September 2020, UKVIA’s website stated that “The APPG is currently undertaking a review of its future direction”.⁵⁰

• For more information see All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Vaping (E-Cigarettes).

Lobbied Government to Use E-cigarettes as Cessation Tool

UKVIA have actively lobbied the UK government on e-cigarette policy. They are not currently listed on either the UK government’s voluntary Register of Consultant lobbyists, the UK Lobbying Register run by the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, or the EU Transparency Register.

Gave evidence to Science and Technology Select Committee (2018)

After UKVIA’s 2018 conference, Director Dunne reported that Norman Lamb MP was ‘’so convinced by the arguments raised… he immediately arranged for us to give formal evidence in Parliament a fortnight later’’.³⁶ UKVIA gave oral evidence to the House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committee on 9 May 2018, and the Select Committee report was submitted to government in August that year.⁵¹ At the inquiry Dunne argued that there should be “a fully evidence-based regulatory framework’’ and that the industry should participate more in the process of implementing regulations relating to e-cigarette products.⁵¹ He also said that advertising restrictions are a barrier to uptake, and that UKVIA is concerned that the “public health message is not getting out there in an efficient and effective manner’’.⁵¹

When asked whether there was a role for “heat-not-burn products” in quitting, Dunne replied that UKVIA did “not have a view on that, because we are a vaping organisation”.⁵¹ However their four main tobacco industry members all have Heated Tobacco Products in their product portfolios.

Hosted report launch in Parliament

In November 2017 UKVIA published a report by the APPG for E-cigarettes called ‘State of the Vaping Nation’.⁵² UKVIA organised a launch reception in the House of Commons, with Norman Lamb MP promoting the report alongside Pawsey and Dunne,⁵³⁵⁴ a month after the Select Committee inquiry into e-cigarettes was announced.⁵⁵⁵⁶ The APPG report urged Government to consider adopting a more lenient policy towards vaping.⁵⁷ Pawsey argued that: ‘’There is no doubt that the current mixed messages surrounding vaping are creating a confusing picture’’.⁵³⁵² In its coverage of the report launch UKVIA placed some of the blame for this confusion on “alarmist news headlines” and “‘junk science’”, a phrase that does not appear in the APPG report but has long been used to attack academic research.⁵⁴⁵⁸

Promoted E-cigarettes to the Public and Politicians

VApril

In March 2018, UKVIA and Mark Pawsey launched an awareness campaign called ‘VApril’, outside the Houses of Parliament, to encourage smokers to switch to e-cigarettes.⁵⁹⁶⁰ John Dunne, Director of UKVIA, stated that “VApril marked a milestone for the vaping industry in the UK’’.⁶¹

In 2019, ‘VApril’ was again launched by UKVIA, this time outside the Houses of Parliament and with the doctor and TV personality Dr Christian Jessen as the figurehead for a “nationwide education campaign”.⁶¹ Jessen had also been at the 2018 event,⁶⁰ featured in a UKVIA leaflet promoting e-cigarettes as a tool for quitting smoking,⁶² and was listed as Keynote Speaker at the UKVIA 2019 conference.⁴⁰

‘VApril’ was promoted as a virtual initiative in 2020, due to the Covid-19 pandemic.⁶³

Media campaigns

In November 2019, Bristol-based agency JBP ran a national campaign to promote e-cigarettes on behalf of UKVIA.⁵³ Called “Facts Not Fiction” it included full page newspaper advertisements and TV coverage.⁵³⁶⁴⁶⁵ JBP states that it operates as secretariat for UKVIA and arranges media opportunities, social media activities, and UKVIA events. It worked on the launch of VApril in 2019.⁵³

Event at Labour Party conference

UKVIA held a fringe event at the Labour Party conference in September 2019, promoted by SME 4 Labour (an organisation which lobbies the party on behalf of small and medium sized enterprises). The event was called “Vapreneurs and the Economy: How Vaping SMEs have created jobs and opportunities across the UK”.⁵³⁶⁶ Two MPs gave talks: Bill Esterson (then Shadow Minister for Trade) and Chi Omwurah (then Shadow Minister for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy).⁵³⁶⁶  James Dunworth from the company E-Cigarette Direct also spoke at the event.⁶⁶

“Blueprint for Better Regulation”: Response to TRPR consultation

In March 2021, the UKVIA published a report, “A Blueprint for Better Regulation”, in response to the UK Government’s review of the Tobacco and Regulated Products Regulations.⁶⁷

The report stated “the review of the TRPR should be used to further accelerate the potential role of vaping as an effective way of reducing smoking rates and improving public health”. The UKVIA report proposed: e-cigarette packaging should have messaging “encouraging smokers to switch” or highlighting the “harm reduction benefits of vaping”, tank capacity should be increased and advertising and promotion regulations should be relaxed.⁶⁸

The report’s recommendations were praised by the former Liberal Democrat MP, Sir Norman Lamb. Former Labour MP, Sir Kevin Barron, said the review was “an ideal opportunity to highlight how less harmful products have improved public health.”⁶⁷

“Healthcare Hub” for NHS staff

In 2021, UKVIA published a ‘healthcare hub’ with advice and information for NHS staff to use when giving advice on using vaping to quit smoking. UKVIA stated that the guide “draws on the unparalleled knowledge and experience of UKVIA’s retail members”.⁹ “Start Vaping, Stop Smoking” posters intended for use in hospitals feature the UKVIA logo.⁶⁹

In its 2021 annual report, UKVIA stated that it had “reached out to all 200 plus NHS Trusts across the country” but did not detail any responses.⁹

Partnered with homeless shelter

In December 2021, UKVIA stated that it had partnered with a night shelter for homeless people in Ipswich, providing residents with e-cigarette products supplied by UKVIA members.⁷⁰ The organisation running the shelter operates in a local homelessness partnership, which also includes Job Centre Plus (part of the Department for Work and Pensions) and NHS bodies.⁷¹ It is not clear whether this activity was conducted with any medical oversight.

Research conducted on tobacco industry documents in 2005 found that the industry had, through its marketing of tobacco products in the US, “developed relationships with homeless shelters and advocacy groups, gaining positive media coverage and political support”.⁷² UKVIA similarly promoted this activity to the media.⁷⁰

Lobbied for stores to be “essential” during Covid pandemic

Throughout the pandemic UKVIA unsuccessfully lobbied for e-cigarette stores to be granted essential status.⁷³⁷⁴ Mark Pawsey, chair of the APPG for Vaping, also called for the stores to remain open.⁷⁵

Opposed to Additional Tax on E-cigarettes

In August 2018 multiple stories appeared in the UK media claiming that the UK Government was considering a “sin” tax on e-cigarette products to help fund the NHS.^{767778 7980} UKVIA wrote to the Treasury claiming that such a tax would risk damaging public health and that it conflicted with government stop smoking policy.⁷⁷⁷⁸⁸¹ In response the Treasury stated that ‘’we have no current plans to introduce a new tax on vaping products’’.⁸²

Lobbied Against Restriction of E-cigarette Advertising and Promotion in Scotland

Between February and April 2022, the Scottish Government ran a consultation into whether new rules should be introduced to limit the ways e-cigarettes can be advertised and promoted.⁸³

In response, UKVIA said the Scottish Government was “in denial of the facts” and “risks the lives of its adult smoking population”. UKVIA’s opposition to the proposed restrictions was echoed by the Scottish Grocer Federation.⁸⁴ Douglas Mutter, Director at both VPZ and UKVIA said: “any controls placed on vaping promotion… represent a massive own goal for the NHS in Scotland and means that the country can kiss goodbye to its 2034 smokefree ambitions.”⁸⁴

UKVIA engaged JBP Associates, a public relations firm, to lobby Members of Scottish Parliament (MSP)s on their behalf. Sandesh Gulhane MSP met with the firm and John Dunne, UKVIA’s Director General, in January 2022. Topics discussed include: the UK government’s announcement that e-cigarettes might be prescribed on the NHS, their role as a smoking cessation aid and UKVIA’s aim to reduce ‘misinformation’ regarding their harms.⁸⁵

Siobhian Brown MSP was lobbied in March 2022. She was introduced to the work of the UKVIA, including in “reducing tobacco harm, preventing youth access, and tackling misinformation about the relative harm of vaping products.” JBP Associates entry in the lobbying register states: “The UKVIA does not agree with the Scottish Government’s proposals, and sought the views of the MSP on the issue, in order to address concerns regarding the relative harm of vaping products, and encourage them to reopen the conversation on tobacco harm reduction approaches.”⁸⁶

The next month, Gillian Martin MSP, the Convener of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, and Emma Harper MSP also met with the public relations firm. The role of e-cigarettes in reducing tobacco harm was discussed, as was the consultation on e-cigarette advertising and promotion.⁸⁷

In addition, UKVIA members Philip Morris International, British American Tobacco, Japan Tobacco International and Imperial Brands have all lobbied MSPs regarding the Scottish Governments proposals to restrict c-cigarette advertisement and promotion.⁸⁸

Lobbied Against International Regulation

UKVIA have said that it supports “a responsible and fair regulatory framework”, but objects to the EU putting tobacco and e-cigarettes in the same category.⁴ At its 2018 conference, UKVIA stated that it would be lobbying for changes to the TPD and advertising regulations “to allow the full public health potential of vaping products to be realised”.⁴

COP 8

In September 2018, just before the eighth session of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) Conference of the Parties in Geneva, UKVIA lobbied the WHO, along with Vape Business Ireland and 14 other e-cigarette-related organisations from around the world as co-signatories.^8990919293. Their aim was to get the WHO to reverse its “decision to invite bans and restrictions on vaping”, and to recognise the use of e-cigarettes as “part of an effective harm reduction strategy’’.⁹⁰

A UKVIA representative said that it was:

“keen to work with the WHO to ensure that its policy decisions at the Geneva congress reflect the evidence and good common sense.”⁹⁰

COP 9

In the run up to the ninth WHO FCTC COP held virtually in Geneva in November 2021, UKVIA repeatedly criticised the WHO for what it termed its “anti-vapour ideology”.⁹⁴

In January 2021, UKVIA submitted evidence to the APPG for Vaping’s COP 9 inquiry⁹⁴. The next month, John Dunne  was invited as an expert witness by the APPG to give evidence that would be used to advise the UK delegation to COP 9. Professor Gerry Stimson of Knowledge-Action-Change, Clive Bates of Counterfactual, and Daniel Pryor of the Adam Smith Institute also gave evidence. ⁹⁵

In March 2021, John Dunne said the WHO “poses a real threat to smoking cessation and harm-reduction”, adding “while the WHO is scheduled to hold a crucial summit on vaping in November 2021, known as COP9, it continues to find itself at odds with health and industry advocates.”⁹⁶

In April 2021, UKVIA backed the APPG on Vaping calls for the UK Government to “reconsider the level of its funding” to the WHO.⁹⁷ UKVIA stated they were responding to an article in the Daily Express, which claimed leaked documents revealed the WHO planned to use the COP 9 summit to announce e-cigarettes were as dangerous as smoking tobacco. John Dunne said: “Thankfully now that the UK has left the EU it is now longer bound by the ridiculous and quite frankly dangerous WHO messaging urging the bloc to treat vaping in the same way as smoking.”⁹⁷

In July 2021, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: “Nicotine is highly addictive. Electronic nicotine delivery systems are harmful, and must be better regulated.”⁹⁸ In response, UKVIA criticised what it termed the WHO’s “anti vaping rhetoric” as “nonsensical and dangerous” which “flies in the face of scientific evidence, common sense and harm reduction.”⁹⁹

In October 2021, John Dunne and APPG for Vaping Chair Mark Pawsey MP co-hosted a meeting attended by over 20 international organisations which discussed “the threat to tobacco harm reduction if the WHO’s COP9 continues in its current trajectory.”¹⁰⁰

For more information on other activity around this time, see COP 9 & MOP 2: Interference by the Tobacco Industry and its Allies

Relevant Links

UK Vaping Industry Association Website

TobaccoTactics Resources

• All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Vaping (E-Cigarettes)
• E-cigarette Trade Organisations with Tobacco Industry Members
• E-cigarettes
• E-cigarettes: British American Tobacco
• E-cigarettes: Japan Tobacco International
• E-cigarettes: Philip Morris International
• E-cigarettes: Imperial Tobacco (Brands)
• E-cigarettes: Altria
• JUUL Labs
• VPZ
• Reviti