Final text of UK’s TPD transposition: online sales survive

The British government has transposed the EU’s Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) with minimal additional restrictions, as predicted by ECigIntelligence.

Under The Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016, published today, distance sales will be permitted and registration will only be demanded for retailers who engage in cross-border distance retail.

Advertising in print media will be broadly prohibited, as will online advertising, TV product placement, and sponsorship of cross-border events. TV and radio advertising are banned separately by broadcasting codes.

However, outdoor advertising, cinema advertising, point-of-sale marketing, and sponsorship of local events appear to remain permissible.

There are no new restrictions on vaping in public places.

The rules will come into effect on 20th May and do not require parliamentary approval. In theory they could still be rejected by law-makers, although no such rejection of a statutory instrument has taken place in the British parliament since the year 2000.

The regulations apply to the whole of the UK, but the constituent countries of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are also entitled to introduce their own rules.

For example, even though the central government is implementing the minimum TPD restrictions for advertising, Scotland plans stricter regulation.

The Public Health (Wales) bill, which would have heavily restricted the public place use of e-cigarettes, was rejected in its final stages.

– ECigIntelligence staff

Photo: Herry Lawford

Barnaby Page

Editorial director

Before joining ECigIntelligence in early 2014 as one of its first employees, Barnaby had a 30-year career as a reporter and editor for newspapers, magazines and online services, working in Canada, the US and the Middle East as well as his current British location. He has edited publications covering fields including technology and the advertising industry, and was launch editor of the first large daily online news service in the British regional media. Barnaby also writes on classical music and film for a number of publications. Barnaby manages the editorial and reporting teams and works closely with the analyst teams, to ensure that all content meets high standards of quality and relevance. He also writes for the site occasionally, mostly on science-related issues, and is a member of the Association of British Science Writers.