The New Nicotine Alliance UK (NNA) has launched a new campaign website urging consumers to respond to government proposals on the packaging, appearance and retail display of vaping and other nicotine products.
The consumer organisation, which represents users of lower-risk alternatives to cigarettes, said the website has been created to help consumers understand the proposals and make their views heard in the government’s consultation, which closes on 2 October.
The Department of Health and Social Care consultation covers proposed restrictions on the packaging, appearance and retail display of vaping and nicotine products across the UK. It includes proposals to standardise packaging, restrict flavour descriptors, regulate the appearance of vape devices and restrict the display of vaping and nicotine products in shops.
The NNA said it was “increasingly disappointed” with the direction of UK tobacco harm reduction policy, arguing that the government is moving towards treating vaping, nicotine pouches and other reduced-risk nicotine products in a similar way to cigarettes.
It said this represented a reversal of what it described as Britain’s previous position as an international leader in tobacco harm reduction.
The organisation particularly criticised proposals that would restrict the visibility of vapes and nicotine products in retail stores, as well as measures covering packaging, flavours and product appearance.
Under the government’s consultation, vaping and nicotine product packaging would be required to be white, with restrictions on imagery, branding and promotional features. The government is also proposing restrictions on flavour descriptors, while vape devices would be limited to white, black or grey with a matt finish.
The consultation also proposes restricting the retail display of vaping and nicotine products, with requested temporary displays required to take place behind a sales counter. Under the proposals, requested temporary or incidental displays of vaping and nicotine products would be limited to a maximum visible area of 1.5 square metres in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and 0.1 square metres in Scotland.
The NNA argued that such measures risk blurring the distinction between combustible tobacco and alternative nicotine products.
“The new proposals are to hide vapes, nicotine pouches and heated tobacco behind screens, just like cigarettes; to ban advertising, just like cigarettes; to impose plain packaging, just like cigarettes; to restrict flavours, just like cigarettes; to ban vending machines, just like cigarettes; to control the shape, colour and size of devices, just as the government controls the shape, colour and size of cigarette packets,” it said in a statement.
The NNA also criticised comments recently attributed to prime minister Andy Burnham that vape shops provide no benefit to communities, pointing to the government’s Swap to Stop scheme, which provides adult smokers with free reusable vape starter kits to support quitting.
The organisation said vaping had contributed to the decline in smoking and argued that the government should make it easier, rather than harder, for smokers to move away from cigarettes.
The NNA also cited Action on Smoking and Health’s warning that public perceptions of the relative harms of vaping have become increasingly inaccurate, alongside the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities’ assessment that vaping presents only “a small fraction of the harms of smoking”.
The organisation said the proposed regulatory approach risked undermining the role of reduced-risk nicotine products in helping smokers quit.
The NNA also raised concerns about the Vaping Products Duty due to come into force on 1 October, arguing that the new tax will significantly increase the cost of many vape liquids.
The NNA is calling on consumers who support access to alternative nicotine products to visit its campaign website, review the government’s proposals and submit a response before the consultation deadline.
The government consultation is open to members of the public, health organisations, industry representatives, retailers and local authorities, with responses due by 11.59pm on 2 October 2026.
The NNA said the future of tobacco harm reduction should be based on “evidence, proportionality and consumer choice”, rather than policies that it believes could discourage smokers from switching away from combustible tobacco.