Disposable vapes to be banned next year, government says

It’s hoped this will reduce the number of young people vaping

The government has confirmed they will ban disposable vapes from June next year, after it was proposed by the Conservative government back in January.

Although the plans are just for England so far, it is expected that similar bans will come into force by the devolved governments for Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

The ban is aimed at curbing environmental damage and preventing children’s health, per BBC.

Disposable vapes are tricky to recycle and often end up going into landfill. This can be particularly harmful due to battery acid, lithium, and mercury that an leak from them.

However, vaping industry leaders have said they fear a ban could lead to a rise in illegal sales.

Defra’s Circular Economy Minister Mary Creagh said that disposable vapes were “extremely wasteful and blight our towns and cities”.

“That is why we are banning single use vapes as we end this nation’s throwaway culture,” she said.

“This is the first step on the road to a circular economy, where we use resources for longer, reduce waste, accelerate the path to net-zero and create thousands of jobs across the country.”

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An estimated 7.2 per cent of those aged 11-17 vape regularly, a significant rise from 2020 when this figure stood at 4.1 per cent for the same age group.

Meanwhile, 18 per cent of this age group admit to having tried vaping at least once.

Whilst medical bodies widely agree that vaping is not as bad for you as smoking cigarettes – and play an important role in helping people give up smoking – there are growing concerns over the health impacts vaping can have, particularly amongst young people.

The government has already announced a number of plans surrounding tobacco products as part of its tobacco and vapes bill. This includes a progressive smoking ban that would mean any children born in 2009 or onwards will never be able to legally buy a cigarette.

Plans have also been revealed to ban smoking in beer gardens, nightclubs and football stadiums.