Originally posted on 31 January 2024, updated on 8 January 2025
The UK Government recently announced that a disposable vape ban would be coming into place to protect the health of children.
Vapes and vaping have been a massive topic of conversation over the past few years due to the variety of health and fire safety risks involved, and the unknown effect on long-term health.
Here, we’ll unpack the disposable vape ban information and answer common questions that arise from the announcement.
When will the disposable vape ban come into force?
The announcement stated that the ban on disposable vapes would come into effect in England, Scotland and Wales on 1st June 2025.
This will impact the sale and supply of single-use vapes which cannot be refilled or recharged and has been brought in to protect the health of children and young people, while also reducing environmental damage caused by improper disposal.
The environmental impact of vape disposal
The disposable vape ban at a glance
The ban itself, while focussing on health and the environment specifically, has a number of other measures attached to it, including:
- The sale and supply of disposable vapes is being banned in England, Scotland, and Wales
- The ban will come into place as soon as possible
- There was wide support for the disposable vape ban in a consultation
- Anyone over the age of 18 will still be able to buy remaining, non-disposable vape and tobacco products
- The government also details plans to bring forward legislation that will change the age of sale for all tobacco products, cigarette papers, and herbal smoking products
- The new legislation is anticipated to restrict the flavours that are produced by vape manufacturers and stipulate that they must use plainer, less visually appealing packaging
- It will also allow governments to control where vapes are displayed in shops – away from items that appeal to children, like sweets, and keep them out of sight
- Vape alternatives such as nicotine pouches, will also be made illegal for children to purchase
What vapes will be available after the ban?
Ultimately, the ban affects the sale and supply of disposable vapes. So you will no longer be able to walk into a shop and buy disposable vapes in England, Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland will also consider implementing the ban in future.
Non-disposable vapes, like refillable vape pens, will still be available for adults to buy which are intended for those who need them as a quitting smoking aid.
Why is the disposable vape ban coming into force?
The government announced plans to create a smoke-free generation and closed consultation on the plans last year – results which are available here.
They found that there was wide support for the disposable vape ban. 70% of those who responded, including teachers, parents, and healthcare professionals, supported the measure.
The number of children using vapes in the past 3 years has tripled. The nicotine content and unknown long-term health risks of vaping mean that it carries a multitude of risks for children.
Action on Smoking and Health (Ash) charity published figures that suggest that 7.6% of 11 to 17-year-olds now vape regularly or occasionally, up from 4.1% in 2020.
The ban will also reduce the environmental and economic impact of vapes.
With 5m disposable vapes thrown away each week, up from 1.3m last year, there has been an increase in waste centre fires as a result of devices being improperly discarded; while warehouse and garage fires have also increased with people using them to store products or having been into garages, sheds and outbuildings to vape outside their property but in the warmth or dry conditions.
Can young people still buy vapes or tobacco products?
Anyone over the age of 18 will still be able to buy remaining, non-disposable vape and tobacco products.
Some think that these measures won’t go far enough. With some calls to follow Australia’s lead and make vapes only available with a prescription.
As part of the smoke-free generation consultation statement, the government also details plans to bring forward legislation that will change the age of sale for all tobacco products, cigarette papers, and herbal smoking products. As part of this, anyone born on or after 1st January 2009 will never legally be sold tobacco products.
What will change for the remaining vape products after the ban?
The new legislation is anticipated to restrict the flavours that are produced by vape manufacturers. Also stipulating that they must use plainer, less visually appealing packaging.
It will also allow governments to control where vapes are displayed in shops. This is expected to be away from items that appeal to children, like sweets, and out of sight.
Vape alternatives such as nicotine pouches, will also be made illegal for children to purchase.
What is the vape companies’ response to the disposable vape ban?
It is reported that one of the largest vape manufacturers in the country, Elf Bar, said it supported the government’s aim to stop children using vapes but ‘expressed disappointment with the outright ban’.
The UK division of the British American Tobacco company also remarked that ‘increased controls on importation, appeal, and access would more effectively reduce under-age use’.
How will the disposable vape ban affect businesses?
The government will also bring in new fines for shops in England and Wales which sell vapes to children.
‘On the spot’ actions will be available for trading standards officers to issue to those not abiding by the rules.
There has been guidance that at least a 6-month buffer period will be allowed in the legislation. This enables businesses to adapt to the new rules.
The preceding information has been collated from a variety of trusted sources which are listed below. The content was correct at the time of writing and is not intended to be taken as fact. We have collated the information for informative and educational purposes.
Can vapes cause fires?
While not directly cited as a factor behind the disposable vape ban, fire safety is a key consideration when it comes to vaping. In the last few years, there have been all-too-frequent instances where a single-use vape has caught fire as a result of either improper disposal or damage to the Lithium-ion battery inside it.
Vape fires are becoming a regular occurrence, especially in waste and recycling centres which are learning on their feet when it comes to not only segregating single-use vapes, but disposable vapes are incredibly difficult to recycle and often end up in landfill sites.
In 2023 fire and rescue services attended 241 vape-related fires, an increase of 119 per cent on call-outs from 2022. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) stated that almost five million disposable vapes were thrown in general waste in 2023, with enough power between the batteries combined to power tens of thousands of electric vehicles.
Disclaimer
The information contained within this blog is provided solely for general informational and educational purposes and is not intended as a substitute for professional advice. Before taking any actions based upon this information, we advise the reader to consult any and all relevant statutory or regulatory guidance and where necessary to consult a qualified fire or industry regulation professional. The use or reliance on any information contained herein is solely at the reader's risk.