British MP rewarded by vaping industry

Declared "best parliamentary supporter" by the UK Vaping and Industry Association (UKVIA), Conservative MP Adam Afriyie is also being accused of conflict of interest. His wife is a shareholder in a vaping shop and a brand of disposable e-cigarettes, while he himself defended the interests of this corporation before the House of Commons.

In early November, Conservative MP Adam Afriyie delivered the opening speech at the UK Vaping and Industry Association (UKVIA) annual event, announcing a “global battle” in which the vaping industry would be part of the “tobacco-free solutions”. At the event, he was later awarded the trophy for “best parliamentary support” for the industry.

Adam Afriyie, who is heavily involved in the regulation of e-cigarettes in the UK, was also one of the MPs who lobbied the UK government to make e-cigarettes a major focus of tobacco control. He notably opposed the ban on disposable e-cigarettes ("puffs"). However, Adam Afriyie has just been implicated in a conflict of interest involving his wife. Not only is she one of the main shareholders of a vape shop, but she also holds shares in the company Nebulos, which manufactures disposable e-cigarettes sold under the brand name Moodbar.[1].

A parliamentary link in the lobbying chain

Adam Afriyie is therefore suspected of conflict of interest, a practice prohibited for parliamentarians. The MP should have declared his wife's assets to the official register of parliamentary interests. Questioned on the subject, he indicated that he did not want to comment on his family members.

Adam Afriyie is seen as one of the links in the vaping industry's influence on the British government. Since 2010, he has chaired the Parliamentary Office for Science and Technology, an "independent, balanced and accessible source of public policy analysis" which notably issued a report on e-cigarettes in 2016. He is also vice-chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Vaping (AAPG), directly linked to UKVIA. UKVIA has notably granted funding to the AAPG for Vaping for the organisation of its events and, from 2016 to 2020, provided the secretariat of this parliamentary group.[2].

Adam Afriyie also spoke on the UK legislation at the Global Tobacco and Nicotine Forum 2023, the tobacco industry's annual meeting. He received £8,345 (€9,763) at the event, which he said was only intended to cover his travel, accommodation and food expenses. In March 2022, he defended the inclusion of heated tobacco, nicotine pouches and snus in Parliament.[3] in the UK's harm reduction strategy, while saying the government should work more closely with the tobacco industry.

UKVIA's influence on British politics

Although it presents itself as an organisation of independent e-cigarette manufacturers, UKVIA is clearly linked to the tobacco industry. The four major tobacco multinationals (Philip Morris International, British American Tobacco, Japan Tobacco International and Imperial Brands) are members, sit on the organisation's board of directors and participate in its committees.[4]. UKVIA's chief executive, John Dunne, previously worked for 12 years for Altria, the US manufacturer of Marlboro. However, UKVIA is not registered on the parliamentary register of lobbyists.

Openly opposed to the World Health Organization (WHO) and its treaty, the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), UKVIA is one of the lobby groups trying to push harm reduction onto the agenda of the Conferences of the Parties (COPs) to the treaty. Drawing on evidence from UKVIA, Counterfactual and the Adam Smith Institute, AAPG for Vaping supported the positions of the tobacco and vaping industries in the lead-up to COP 8, COP 9 and COP 10 and strongly influenced the UK’s position. In a 2021 report on harm reduction, AAPG for Vaping argued that the tobacco industry was part of the solution to the problems of smoking. This position runs directly counter to a key provision of the FCTC treaty. This provides that relations with the tobacco industry must be limited to what is strictly necessary for the regulation of products and this industry, and this in complete transparency, without associating them with public policies in any way.

The case of MP Adam Afriyie is typical of the tobacco industry’s exploitation of the vaping industry and the theme of harm reduction. It emblematically raises the issue of conflicts of interest for parliamentarians.

Keywords: United Kingdom, Adam Afriyie, AAPG for Vaping, UKVIA, CCLAT, interference, lobby, vaping

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[1] Wood P, The MP for vaping: Tory Adam Afriyie given award by lobbying industry, iNews, published November 28, 2023, accessed November 30, 2023.

[2] All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Vaping, Tobacco Tactics, updated September 29, 2022, accessed November 30, 2023.

[3] Tobacco pouches that are placed between the gum and lip; distinct from nicotine pouches, which do not contain tobacco.

[4] UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA), Tobacco Tactics, updated September 27, 2023, accessed November 30, 2023.