Scottish Innovator Zudu's ePass System Revolutionizes Tobacco and e-Cigarette Retail Registration

Feb.08.2025
Scottish Innovator Zudu's ePass System Revolutionizes Tobacco and e-Cigarette Retail Registration
Scottish innovator develops ePass system for national tobacco and e-cigarette retailers, streamlining registration process to enforce regulations.

According to FutureScot on February 6th, a winner of the Scottish Innovation Competition has launched a software platform aimed at managing the registration process for tobacco and e-cigarette retailers nationwide.


The national ePass system developed by software development company Zudu, based in Edinburgh, will help trade standards departments verify the identity of sellers and enforce relevant regulations.


Zudu company has been awarded a contract by the Scottish government's CivTech innovation and technology acceleration program. This initiative aims to establish a modern, digitally focused approach to managing historical tobacco product licenses. The system will host registrations for tobacco and nicotine vapor products, initially rolling out to 10,000 retailers with plans to increase the number to over 15,000 registered businesses next month.


The ePass system allows end users to update records and comply with regulations, while transaction standards and local municipal officials can verify data and search the platform to confirm registration.


Zudu's CEO, James Buchan, stated that...


According to the Scottish government's tobacco and e-cigarette framework, the goal is to become a smoke-free generation by 2034. Our robust system is designed to help enforce these regulations in the most critical places - safeguarding the future generation.


Public Health Minister Jenni Minto welcomes the newly upgraded website.


This new system aims to improve data quality and ultimately strengthen enforcement of regulations on the sale of tobacco and e-cigarette products, ensuring that individuals under the age of 18 cannot access these age-restricted products.


The system will also provide retailers with any updates on legal changes regarding the "Tobacco and E-cigarette Regulations" bill currently under review in the UK parliament.


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