Conversations about vapes have for some time now been largely dominated by the issue of youth access.
Irresponsible actors have exploited weak regulation and limited enforcement for the sake of profit – meaning youth access has rapidly become a major threat to the credibility of our industry.
At the same time, despite many industry leaders – including ourselves – calling for regulation of who can buy nicotine pouches, government has still not formally introduced a minimum age of sale.
As the UK market leader in nicotine pouches, we believe that industry has a key role to play in driving positive change across the category. We are clear that our products are for adult smokers and existing nicotine users only and should never be used by those who are underage, and we are determined to help enforce this in the most effective ways possible, writes Susanna De Iesu, Commercial Director for UK & Ireland, BAT.
As a business it is a top priority for us, and we know that tackling it effectively means utilising modern technology.
That’s why last year we were so excited to partner with the Channel Islands Co-operative Society (Coop) on a new technology pilot with Yoti, rolling out new facial age-estimation technology across ten Jersey stores. The technology uses smart, facial age estimation – without inconveniencing adult customers or retailers – to estimate a customer’s age. The customer is required to scan a QR code with their mobile device or use an in-store device, such as a tablet.
All customers need to do is take a selfie and the technology estimates their age. The moment their age is estimated, the image is permanently deleted. If the customer is verified as over-18, they can proceed, otherwise additional proof of age is required before a sale takes place.
This pilot marks a significant step forward in supporting Coop’s store staff with the challenge of age checking procedures, while also enhancing the overall customer experience through a smoother point of sale. It is a cost effective, privacy preserving system that adds an extra layer of protection to ensure our products are sold only to adult nicotine consumers.
Retail store staff are often on the front line of enforcing age verification, which can be both challenging and sensitive. And they are often asked to shoulder this responsibility without the right tools, training or technology.
By trialling this technology, we’re giving them the tools to ensure that age-restricted products are only sold to those legally entitled to purchase them. For us, and the retailers on the ground in Jersey, this isn’t just about compliance. It’s about protecting young people, supporting retail staff, and helping our retail partners show leadership in ethical retailing.
More than 600 stores across Europe already use this technology, with early results showing a 99% accuracy rate. Likewise, during UK Home Office sandbox trials at self-checkouts in supermarkets, there were no reported sales of underage customers purchasing age-restricted items when using Yoti’s age assurance technology.
We believe this technology could play a key role for UK retailers in the near future and are looking to partner with a UK retailer later this year.
Overall, this partnership is a great example of how our industry, and the retail industry can work together to uphold age restrictions and prevent youth access, while creating frictionless experiences for adults.
But industry cannot shoulder all the responsibility alone. The Government’s upcoming consultations will be critical in shaping a framework that protects young people from accessing nicotine products while preserving harm-reduction options such as vapes for adult smokers. Getting this balance right is essential for the long-term sustainability of the category.
That is why retailer engagement is so important. We strongly encourage retailers to make their voices heard in these consultations and be honest about where improvements need to be made.
Responsible retailing, backed by effective enforcement and modern technology, is what will truly make a difference in putting a stop to underage access. Together, we can help ensure the Government provides the strongest framework possible to achieve this.
Comments are closed.