Elfbar: Top vape firm drops sweet flavours over appeal to kids

The UK's leading vape brand Elfbar and its sister brand Lost Mary say they will drop dessert and soft drink flavours, which have been criticised for appealing to children.

Elfbar called for a new licencing regime similar to ones for cigarettes and alcohol.

Elfbar and Lost Mary make up more than half of the UK's disposable vape sales, according to data firm NielsenIQ.

The government consultation on new rules for vapes closes on 6 December.

The dazzling range of flavours have helped to turn disposable vapes into a market worth billions of pounds in a few short years, with Elfbar and Lost Mary taking the lion's share. They're both owned by the Chinese firm Shenzhen iMiracle Technology.

Elfbar has already dropped Bubble Gum, Cotton Candy, and Rainbow Candy flavours, with more expected to follow. Gummy Bear has been renamed Gummy, but even that will soon be dropped.

These will take some time to filter through the supply chain, so it may take a while for the changes to become apparent on the shelves, a spokesman said.

The company also called for tighter restrictions on vape sales, including a licencing regime for retailers, and rules requiring them to display vapes behind the counter.

"The introduction of such a regime would mitigate children's access to vapes and make it easier for the authorities to better regulate the sale of vaping devices. Furthermore, we believe it would help combat the growing illicit vape market and drive increased rates of vape recycling," an Elfbar spokesman said.

As many as one third of the UK's vapes don't meet UK legal requirements, such as limits on nicotine strength and tank capacity.

On Monday the third-largest seller, London-based tobacco company BAT, also called for a licencing regime.

Elfbar argues against the introduction of a new tax on vapes similar to that charged on tobacco. It argued that a new tax would encourage former smokers to switch to illegal vapes, or return to cigarettes.

Hazel Cheeseman, deputy chief executive of the anti-smoking charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) said: "It is no surprise that Elf Bar have failed to strike this balance in their recommendations with a series of half measures that will fail to adequately protect children".

She added that an extra tax on vapes "is particularly important to addressing the illicit market, something they say they care about, as it will enable far greater control of products at the border."

In a survey this year, ASH found that 50% of 11 to 17-year-olds who had tried vapes had tried an Elfbar, and 25% had tried Lost Mary.

The second most popular vape seller in the UK, SKE - which makes Crystal Bar - did not return our request for comment on the consultation. In August it defended the use of sweet flavours. "You've got to consider that many Gummy Bears are sold to adults," its communications director Serge Davies told the BBC.

Councils have called for an outright ban on disposable vapes, saying that as well as appealing to children, they cause a litter problem and a fire hazard.

Elfbar and Lost Mary sold over £900m worth of vapes in twelve months, more than 160 million units, according to NielsenIQ. Their numbers only capture around half the market, as they don't include many vape shops, online retailers and convenience stores. So the true figure could be double that.

The consultation on e-cigarette regulations ends on 6 December, and legislation in England, Scotland and Wales is expected “as soon as possible” afterwards.