Answer first
UK vape trade websites should audit public pages, campaigns and downloads for the line between factual information and promotion. Current rules restrict many online advertisements for nicotine e-cigarettes and refill containers. Further Tobacco and Vapes Act measures are enacted but not yet in force, so teams should prepare without presenting planned changes as current law.
Key Takeaways
- Treat web copy, metadata, emails, paid media, social posts, partner assets and downloadable catalogues as one content inventory.
- Under current guidance, retailer sites may provide factual, non-promotional information; promotional online advertising for covered nicotine e-cigarettes and refill containers is restricted.
- The Government intends comprehensive advertising and sponsorship restrictions to begin on 1 June 2027, subject to the required secondary legislation and commencement; they are not current law on this article’s date.
- Keep claims traceable to source documents, and label consultation proposals as proposals until final requirements are published.
Start with the rules in force today
Build the checklist around the current Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016 (TRPR), not headlines about future change. Part 7 restricts online electronic-cigarette advertisements for covered e-cigarettes and refill containers, with an exception for a service intended exclusively for trade professionals. See the current legislation.
DHSC distinguishes information from promotion. Retailer and company sites may provide factual, non-promotional information and ‘how-to’ videos. Price-promotion emphasis, non-product imagery, celebrity endorsement, unsubstantiated wording and comparisons are promotional indicators. The result is context-dependent, so use the DHSC advertising guidance as an operational starting point, not a substitute for legal review.
Separate current duties from the planned 2027 regime
The Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026 contains broader advertising and sponsorship provisions, but Part 6 is currently prospective. It covers publication, design, printing, distribution and certain internet services where advertising promotes vaping or nicotine products; the legislation records these sections as not in force at Royal Assent. Read Part 6 of the Act.
DHSC states that the Government intends these measures to come into force across the UK from 1 June 2027 and will prepare secondary legislation and guidance. Retail websites may still provide factual product information, whereas content designed to encourage purchase may be captured. This is an implementation intention, not current law. Monitor the DHSC update for final material.
Give each policy statement a status: in force, enacted but not in force, consultation proposal, or awaiting guidance. This prevents a future plan being presented as present law.
| Content area | Check now | Status to publish |
|---|---|---|
| Product pages and PDFs | Replace superlatives, comparisons and promotional price framing with factual fields | Current-rule review |
| Search, email and paid/social activity | Identify adverts, campaign copy, partner content and automated emails separately from site information | Current-rule review; future scope review |
| Trade access | Record the professional audience, access route and purpose of trade-only services | Evidence for classification, not a blanket exemption |
| Policy pages | Add source URL, publication date, jurisdiction and status label to each statement | Ongoing monitoring |
| Legacy listings | Remove any single-use vape offers and check reusable-product evidence | Current law |
Audit every distribution surface, not only the product page
A reliable audit follows an asset wherever it can be published or indexed. Include navigation, category pages, search results, structured data, metadata, PDFs, videos, emails, paid search, social posts and agency packs. Record the owner, location, audience, channel, review date and evidence.
Review calls to action in context. ‘Request information’ may suit a factual B2B resource; urgency, a deal or an unsupported comparison needs escalation. Apply the same test to headings, alt text, video scripts and metadata.
Keep substantiation with the asset record. Distinguish notification from approval: MHRA says supply cannot begin before publication, but publication does not guarantee UK labelling compliance. See MHRA advice and Aerova’s MHRA notification overview. Avoid unsupported ‘approved’, ‘certified’ or ‘fully compliant’ claims.
Keep catalogue, packaging and disposal content accurate
Policy monitoring should catch information that is no longer accurate. Since 1 June 2025, it has been illegal to sell, supply, offer or stock single-use vapes in the UK, online or in shops, whether or not nicotine is present. Defra explains definitions and evidence in its business guidance. Remove stale listings and use the reusable-vape guide.
Check packaging and labelling pages against evidence, not generic compliance claims. Use the UK vape packaging and labelling guide as a plain-language reference.
Do not present packaging, appearance or display ideas as settled requirements. The DHSC consultation closed on 2 October 2026; its outcome is not published. Mark related copy proposed until final rules are available. OPSS and Defra require written takeback-service information, including online. See Aerova’s vape WEEE takeback explainer.
General-information disclaimer: This checklist is for policy monitoring and editorial governance, not legal or tax advice. Rules can differ by product, channel and UK jurisdiction. Obtain appropriately qualified advice for decisions about a specific campaign, supply arrangement or claim.
Give content changes a controlled approval route
Use a two-stage workflow: factual verification, then promotional-risk review. Check that the page matches a live official source, then test its presentation, imagery, price language, comparison and distribution.
Create a change record with copy, source, policy status, reviewer, approval date and next trigger. Triggers include a commencement order, official guidance, a consultation response or a new channel. This creates an audit trail without a legal conclusion.
FAQ
Is the UK’s broader vape advertising ban already in force?
No. The Act’s broader Part 6 measures are prospective. DHSC intends implementation from 1 June 2027, with secondary legislation and guidance to follow. Apply current rules while monitoring official updates.
Can a B2B vape website publish product information?
Current DHSC guidance distinguishes factual, non-promotional information from promotion, and the TRPR includes a trade-professionals exception. Whether a site or asset falls within it depends on its facts, purpose and presentation; document the basis and obtain advice where needed.
Should we publish forthcoming packaging proposals on our website?
Only with an unambiguous status label. The 2026 DHSC consultation has closed and its outcome awaits publication. Do not describe proposals as legal requirements until final regulations and implementation details are issued.
Official sources
- Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016, Part 7
- DHSC: restrictions on advertising electronic cigarettes
- Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026, Part 6
- DHSC: planned advertising and sponsorship implementation
- Defra: single-use vape ban business guidance
- MHRA: e-cigarette and vape advice for retailers and producers
- DHSC: packaging, appearance and display consultation
- OPSS and Defra: WEEE regulations
For a factual trade enquiry, share the product category, intended UK market and information needed through Aerova’s request-quote form.