Vape Club wins 'Best Vaping-Related Research Award'

Vape Club, the UK’s largest online e-cigarette retailer, was awarded the “Best Vaping-Related Research Award” at the UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) Industry Recognition Awards ceremony. UKVIA held its second annual Industry Recognition Awards gala on Friday, November 10, following the success of its inaugural event last year. The awards are intended to recognize individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to the industry.

Vape Club received the award in recognition of its research into the number of illegal e-cigarettes seized in the UK. The study aimed to raise awareness of the harms posed by illegal products and encourage greater action from the government and law enforcement agencies.

Although concern has been growing within the industry about the impact of illegal products entering the UK e-cigarette market, reports of illegal product seizures have appeared only sporadically in local news coverage.

Vape Club has been committed to identifying the link between rogue retailers’ reliance on illegal practices, disposable e-cigarettes, and rising youth use rates — an issue that has dominated UK headlines this year.

Vape Club appointed the digital marketing agency Distinctly, based in Rickmansworth and Old Street, to promote the campaign.

This year, the number of Industry Recognition Award categories increased from ten to sixteen, with new awards introduced to recognize companies’ achievements in research, education, and compliance.

Dan Marchant, director and co-founder of Vape Club, said: “We are delighted to have won the Best Vaping-Related Research Award at this year’s UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) Industry Recognition Awards. It is encouraging to see our work influencing the ethics and objectives of the entire industry, and helping to push for greater attention and action from the government and law enforcement agencies.

“Over the past three years, millions of illegal e-cigarettes have been seized in the UK — 2.5 million illegal e-cigarettes have been collected since the beginning of 2020. Even so, this is only the tip of the iceberg, as enforcement action remains relatively infrequent.

“Our campaign has helped drive conversations involving figures such as Cllr Alan Bullion of Southborough Town Council in Kent and Observer columnist and Radio 4 presenter Sonia Sodha. We are pleased to report that our work has had a major impact on the news agenda and is helping lead positive initiatives driven by the vaping industry.

“We truly hope to see more enforcement action to stop these unscrupulous retailers who are selling illegal and potentially dangerous products on the market, especially those selling to underage children. That is why we are developing a blueprint for a vape retail and distribution licensing scheme that could fund this vital work without placing an additional burden on taxpayers.”