The association is warning that without vape stores, former smokers “could be tempted back” to cigarettes Trade body the UK Vaping Industry Association is lobbying government to classify vape shops as essential retailers. The lobbying effort has been ongoing since the first national lockdown in March, but the association has redoubled its efforts, warning that former smokers who have made the switch to electronic alternatives “could be tempted back”. Furthermore, UKVIA says, many smokers will have made new year’s resolutions to quit, with vaping a good way to help them achieve this ambition. “It’s not just about providing a lifeline to vape businesses during lockdown, but also to vapers and smokers for whom vaping represents a life-changing decision,” said John Dunne, director general of the UKVIA.