The sale of disposable vapes will be prohibited in England and Wales from June 2025, as confirmed by the UK government. This decisive move, part of a broader strategy to address environmental waste and reduce vaping among young people, follows a sharp rise in disposable vape use and concerns over its impact on youth health and pollution.
Two years ago, Hungarian authorities also cracked down on these devices, namely on ’Elf Bars’. While the ban had a stark effect initially, over the years, the black market element (as discussed in a previous article by Hungarian Conservative) has not disappeared completely. The devices are still accessible, although more expensive and harder to come by.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) announced on Wednesday that the legislation has been presented in parliament, ensuring businesses have until 1 June next year to sell any remaining stock. The department also highlighted close collaboration with devolved governments, emphasizing plans to synchronize enforcement across regions.
According to Mary Creagh, Circular Economy Minister, disposable vapes are ‘extremely wasteful and blight our towns and cities.’ She underscored the government’s commitment to reducing single-use culture, describing the ban as the first step toward establishing a circular economy in the UK. This shift aims to promote resource efficiency, reduce waste, support net-zero efforts, and drive job creation.
The rising popularity of disposable vapes, particularly among youth, has also raised significant public health concerns. Health Minister Andrew Gwynne noted that nearly a quarter of 11- to 15-year-olds in England used a vape last year, with disposables representing the preferred product among young users. The government expects the ban to deter youth uptake and reduce environmental harm.
‘The rising popularity of disposable vapes, particularly among youth, has raised significant public health concerns’
Despite widespread support, the vaping industry has raised concerns over a potential surge in parallel market sales. John Dunne, Director General of the UK Vaping Industry Association, pointed to the potential growth of black-market sales, arguing that the legislation should also restrict imports of the banned products to prevent sales through unregulated channels.
In addition to the single-use vape ban, the government has introduced a comprehensive Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which will gradually raise the legal age for tobacco purchases, eventually prohibiting sales to anyone born after 2009. (A similar legislation was also proposed in Hungary in the past, although it has not been approved as of yet). The legislation also includes stricter regulations on vape marketing aimed at minors, marking what Gwynne describes as ‘the biggest public health intervention in a generation.’
As disposable vapes have contributed significantly to environmental waste–with nearly 5 million units discarded weekly in the UK last year alone–the government aims for the new ban to mitigate these environmental costs. Since 2012, vape usage in England has risen by over 400 per cent, with 9.1 per cent of Britons now using the products.
It is also imperative to mention that people who usually use vapes to quit smoking do not use disposable devices, rather rechargeable and rebuildable ones. The distinction here is that many who quit smoking did so considering the environmental effects as well, meaning that if they use rechargeable vapes, they do not fill up trashcans with cigarette butts. Those who use disposable vapes, however, throw out plastic, metal, and lithium-ion batteries, which are considerably more harmful.
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