Scotland to require registration for anyone selling vaping and nicotine products
Scotland will mandate registration for retailers of vaping, tobacco, and nicotine products from 29 April 2027, excluding medically licensed products.Summary
Scotland will become the first UK nation to require mandatory registration of premises selling vaping, tobacco, nicotine, and herbal smoking products, effective 29 April 2027. The Scottish government confirmed that registration will not apply to medically licensed products such as nicotine replacement therapies. Maree Todd, Scottish minister for mental wellbeing and public health, emphasized that the register will support effective regulation and enforcement. This move aligns with UK-wide measures under the Tobacco and Vapes Act, which since 29 October 2026 has extended underage sales bans to nicotine-free vapes and nicotine pouches, and prohibits adults from buying these products for under-18s. Public Health Scotland data shows community pharmacies accounted for 70.4% of quit attempts in 2024/2025. Stakeholders like Hazel Cheeseman of Action on Smoking and Health and Gordon Winter of Community Pharmacy Scotland welcomed the regulations, noting the importance of balancing child protection with support for smoking cessation. Further measures from 1 January 2027 will ban tobacco sales to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009.
(Source：The Pharmaceutical Journal)
