Advanced warning for smokers and vapers as they face a new change in October09:07, 15 Jul 2026Updated 09:08, 15 Jul 2026People who smoke and vape are being issued an advanced warning over a new charge they face that's coming soon on all e-liquids. Already this year, the government has made major changes to various rules and laws involving vapes, and it is going to make even more over the coming months.‌Last year, single-use disposable vapes were banned in a UK-wide change in June. In April this year, the Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026 got Royal Assent, introducing historic measures to create a "smoke-free generation".‌The next upcoming major change for vapers is the fact that the cost of vaping is going to increase across the UK. On October 1, 2026, a new Vaping Products Duty will come into effect. The new duty sets a flat tax on all e-liquids, no matter whether they contain nicotine:‌£2.20 per 10ml of e-liquid.An extra 20% VAT is applied to the duty, bringing the total mandatory tax to £2.64 per 10ml.The new charge means that for 10ml bottles, the typical current price of £3.99 could go up to around £6.63. Prefilled pods will see the smallest increase, as they will only go up by 7%. However, larger bottles will see a significant price hike. A 50ml shortfill bottle could cost more than £13 in combined tax and VAT.In response to the new vaping tax, the government is also increasing tobacco duty by £2.20 (plus inflation) on October 1, 2026, to keep smoking as the more expensive choice. Still, retailers can legally sell their older, untaxed stock for a transitional grace period.‌The government announced at the Autumn Budget 2024 that, alongside the introduction of the Vaping Products Duty (VPD) on October 1, 2026, a one-off additional increase will apply to tobacco duties to preserve the price differential between vaping and tobacco products. The one-off increase to tobacco duty will be £2.20 per 100 cigarettes and £2.20 per 50g of all other tobacco products, equivalent to the amount set for VPD, which is £2.20 per 10ml of vaping liquids.The government also committed in the Autumn Budget 2024 to introducing a one-off additional increase in tobacco duties from October 1, 2026, the date the new VPD is introduced. A statement on Gov.uk reads: "This is aimed at ensuring the duty on vaping does not make smoking more attractive and preserves the incentive to choose vaping over smoking."‌People likely to be affected by these changes include manufacturers, importers, distributors, retailers and consumers of tobacco products. Tobacco products include cigarettes, cigars, hand-rolling tobacco (HRT), other smoking tobacco and chewing tobacco, tobacco for heating and herbal smoking products.What other rule changes are being made in October for vapers?Starting on October 29, 2026, the UK will ban the sale of all vaping devices and nicotine products from vending machines. It will also stop the distribution of free samples and raise the legal age limit to 18 and older for zero-nicotine vapes and nicotine pouches.‌A statement on Gov.uk says: "In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, nicotine vaps should only be sold to people aged 18 or over and the same age-of-sale restrictions will apply to non-nicotine vapes from October 29, 2026. In Scotland, existing requirements mean nicotine and non-nicotine vapes should only be sold to people aged 18 or over."On July 10, 2026, plans were revealed to stop the marketing of vapes to children. This initiative is part of a UK-wide consultation that seeks to implement plain packaging, impose restrictions on flavour descriptions, and ensure that vapes are not visible in shops.Article continues belowSecretary of State for Health and Social Care, James Murray, said: "The evidence is clear: there are too many young people experimenting with vapes, attracted by the array of flavours, bright colours and marketing displays. We want a healthier future for the next generation, so we must act now to reduce the appeal of addictive vapes to our children."Vapes are less harmful than cigarettes and can play an important role in helping adult smokers to quit, but they should never be designed or marketed in ways that tempt children. These proposals are about striking the right balance and I urge everyone to have their say."