UK to ban disposable vapes from June to crack down on teen use

LONDON: The sale of single-use vapes will be banned in England from June next year, the British government said on Thursday, seeking to crack down on the environmental harm and rising usage levels among children.

Vaping has grown rapidly in Britain in the last decade, with nearly one in 10 people buying and using the products, according to the government.

Supporters say vapes can help people give up smoking, but health authorities are concerned that their colourful designs and fruity flavours are designed to attract children.

According to a 2024 survey by health charity ASH, about one in five children aged 11-17 said they had tried vaping.

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It is illegal to sell nicotine-containing e-cigarettes to anyone under the age of 18.

The plan to ban disposable vapes was initially set out by the previous Conservative government in January, alongside a move to ban anyone aged 15 and under from buying cigarettes - some of the strictest anti-smoking rules in the world.

The Labour government also plans to introduce a full smoking bill, as part of what it called “the biggest public health intervention in a generation” to protect young people from becoming hooked on nicotine.

“Banning disposable vapes will not only protect the environment, but importantly reduce the appeal of vapes to children and keep them out of the hands of vulnerable young people,” said minister for public health and prevention, Andrew Gwynne.

Almost five million single-use vapes were dumped on the ground or thrown away in general waste every week in 2023, the government said. They then end up in landfill or being incinerated, posing a fire risk due to their lithium-ion batteries.

Health charity ASH has called for a balance in the proposed Tobacco and Vapes Bill to ensure that regulations do not undermine the value of vapes as an aid for tobacco smokers.