Campaign raises funds for legal challenge to disposable vape ban

The Vape Protection Alliance (VPA) has launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise funds for a legal challenge to the government’s decision to ban dispose vapes.

The campaign has already raised its initial target of £15,000 to engage with a King’s Counsel barrister to provide expert legal advice and direction on the best course of action to challenge the proposed vape restrictions.

The VPA, a group of vaping businesses that have committed to supporting this action in phases, aims to raise £75,000 to proceed to phase 2, which is permission to proceed by the courts.

“We will be challenging the government on their lack of evidence, failure to directly consult with the industry, failure to enforce on the existing regulations, the threat and impact on legitimate vape businesses in terms of their collective right to run their businesses without interference and the clear and present danger to the health of former smokers by further restricting access to these life changing products particularly with regards to access to a broad range of flavours,” Robert Sidebottom, managing director of Arcus Compliance, who heads the VPA, said.

The firms supporting the campaign include The E-Cig Store, VPZ, Eco Vape, Alchem NicSelect, Insta Fill parent AKS Holdings, Evolution Vaping, among others.

“Eco Vape supports the Vape Protection Alliance, noting that existing regulations, if properly enforced, address the UK’s concerns over disposable vapes, and warns that the ban could inadvertently strengthen the black market,” Eco Vape commented on the campaign page.