Will you get fined if you're spotted using a disposable vape? Everything you need to know as ban comes into force
BRITS could be fined hundreds of pounds following the government's recent disposable vape ban.
A ban on single use e-cigs has now kicked in as part of a crackdown to stop kids getting hooked.
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The disposable vape ban has made it illegal for any retailer to sell single single use vapes online or in store after coming into effect on June 1.
Only reusable vapes can now be sold as the government aims to prevent youths picking up the habit and protect the environment.
But e-smokers may wonder whether they'll be fined if they're seen smoking one of the disposable devices.
Under the new legislation, rogue traders who continue to sell disposable vapes will be fined £200.
Serial offenders could face criminal charges of an unlimited fine or a prison sentence of up to two years.
But these fines only apply to supplying disposable vapes.
Those who have stocked up and are still smoking the devices following the ban won't be fined.
As a result, online vendors were desperate to avoid being stuck with illegal stock before the deadline leading to huge discounts and fire sales.
One site was boasting a "UK Vape Bargain Blast" ahead of the deadline, selling Flavaah Bar disposable vapes for 29p each, down from £5.
The popular Elf Bar vapes were also down from a fiver at just 49p.
In store outfits also saw users stocking up on single-use vapes.
The Sun spoke to Douglas Eccles from Rustic Vapez before the ban was put in place, who agreed with the ban but noted how it left customers "panicking".
Disposable vapes will be banned across UK by next summer to stop Britain's kids from getting hooked
He said: "Everyone's panicking thinking all disposables are gone from Sunday, but it's not going to go that way.
"A lot of people are bulk-buying them because a lot of shops are doing them really cheap because they know that any stock they've got from Sunday they've got to take off the shelves."
But the ban could backfire with a slew of consequences, according to industry leaders.
Experts fear the ban could result in vapes losing their original purpose as an aid to quit smoking.
They warn that smokers who used vapes to help kick cigarettes may now return to the deadly habit.
Even worse, they could turn to unregulated vapes which can have potentially serious health consequences.
Instead, experts say the ban was a "disproportionate response" and looking at existing laws and education should have been considered first.
Kate Pike, the lead officer for tobacco and vaping at the Chartered Trading Standards Institute, said it was a 'worry' that reusable vapes cost the same as disposables.
She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'It's a real worry that people will continue to use them as single-use disposable and therefore it won't help limit the damage to the environment.'
Industry leaders have also warned that disposable products will soon be replaced with near identical reusable vapes as sellers scramble to get new legal models onto shelves.
Additionally, campaigners We Vape said the new law will create a black market that is "impossible to enforce".
Smoking vs. vaping
VAPING has been touted as an effective tool to help people quit smoking.
Though vaping is substantially less harmful than smoking, the habit isn't completely harmless and comes with its own set of risks.
The NHS only recommends it for adult smokers, to support quitting smoking.
GP and author Dr Philippa Kaye explained to The Sun that the differences between vaping and smoking - and whether one is better than the other - is "complicated".
"In a nutshell, vaping is better than smoking, but breathing air is better than vaping at all."
Vaping exposes users to far fewer toxins - and at lower levels - than smoking cigarettes.
Switching to vaping significantly reduces your exposure to toxins that can cause cancer, lung disease, and diseases of the heart and circulation like heart attack and stroke.
These diseases are not caused by nicotine, which is relatively harmless to health. But research has still linked vaping to a higher risk of failure and lung disease.
Health risks of cigarettes
Smokers are more likely than nonsmokers to develop heart disease, stroke, and lung cancer
Smokers are at greater risk for diseases that affect the heart and blood vessels
Smoking can cause lung disease by damaging your airways and the small air sacs
Smoking can cause cancer almost anywhere in your body
It affects overall health too, such as your mouth, eyes, immune system and fertility
Health risks of vaping
They can cause side effects such as throat and mouth irritation, headache, cough and feeling sick
They could lead to tooth decay
They could damage heart health
They could cause lung disease
They could slow brain development
Read more on how vaping can affect your health here.
Sources: NHS, CDC
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