Youth access

The latest government statistics show that the UK’s smoking rates are lower than they’ve ever been before, with just 13.3% of adults having smoked a cigarette in 2021. Let’s rewind to 10 years ago –  this was 21%. A remarkable step change, we believe this is largely attributable to the increasing accessibility and awareness of vapes, making it easier than ever for the adult smoker to quit tobacco.

With vapes helping pave the path towards a smoke-free world, the journey is not without challenges. Alarmingly this trend is also piquing the attention of young people around the globe – and while a large majority of 11–17-year-olds have never tried vaping – data from the Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) Survey shows that the percentage of children aged 11-17 who have vaped rose from 4% in 2020, to 7% in 2022.This is miles away from the core purpose of the vaping movement, and something that is deeply concerning.

At Plxsur, curbing youth access to vapes across the globe is of paramount importance – as one of Europe’s largest vaping businesses we understand the scale of our impact on society and the environment and that with this position comes a huge responsibility.

Our operations are anchored in our responsible marketing principles, preventing youth initiation across the Group. This includes everything from ensuring the clear labelling of product packaging with age restrictions, to guaranteeing the continuation of strict I.D. checks at all vaping stores across the Plxsur group.

We are particularly excited that we are setting a new benchmark for regulation ensuring that age restrictions are placed upon all nicotine products sold by our subsidiary companies around the globe, even if such restrictions are not currently a requirement in certain countries.

And we are determined to help regulators and industry peers in every way to make sure vapes and other reduced risk products are marketed solely to the adult smoking population.