Disposable vapes ban: What you need to know as single-use vapes are pulled from shelves
A ban on disposable vapes has come into force in the UK as the government attempts to crack down on youth nicotine addiction as well as the litter the single-use devices create.
The crackdown makes it illegal for any retailer – ranging from corner shops to supermarkets – to sell them.
The ban follows the soaring use of disposable vapes in schools and a flood of plastic rubbish from the discarding of the devices.
5.6 million adults were vaping in Great Britain in 2024, according to charity Action on Smoking Health (ASH).
Here, The Independent looks at the reasons behind the ban and what it means for you:
The government is banning the sale of single-use disposable vapes in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
A vape is single-use if it either has a battery that cannot be recharged or is not refillable.
To be reusable, a vape must have a rechargeable battery and a refillable container that holds the vaping e-liquid.
The government has provided two main reasons for the disposable vape ban.
Firstly, to protect the environment.
Nearly five million disposable vapes were littered or discarded every week in 2024, according to Material Focus.
Most end up in general waste or as litter rather than being recycled.
These vapes are hazardous during disposal, with built-in batteries posing a fire risk in bin lorries and recycling centres.
They must be dismantled by hand to recycle, and if littered, can leak harmful chemicals into soil and waterways.
Secondly, to reduce the number of young people vaping.
The introduction of a new generation of disposable vapes in 2021 coincided with a significant increase in youth vaping.
The new single-use vapes are relatively cheap, have bright and attractive packaging, are easy to use and are widely promoted.
Although the rise in youth vaping has levelled off, disposables continue to be the most popular product among young people who vape, according to ASH.
The ban only applies to businesses selling disposable vapes, not to those who use them.
However, the Local Government Association urged people to think twice before hoarding disposable vapes, warning that stockpiling them could pose life-threatening risks.
There are concerns that some people are stocking up on single-use vapes, with research by online nicotine retailer Haypp finding 82 per cent of disposable vape users are planning to stockpile.
The LGA has warned that the lithium batteries contained inside disposable vapes could cause fires and pose a risk to life if not stored correctly.
Lithium batteries present a serious risk of fire, as there is the potential for them to enter into thermal runaway.
Thermal runaway occurs when a battery reaches up to 600C, releasing toxic gases and creating a fire, according to charity Electrical Safety First.
The ban applies to both online and in-store sales across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and all disposable vapes whether or not they contain nicotine.
It applies to all businesses and organisations that sell or supply single-use vapes in the UK.
This includes:
Retailers – such as convenience stores, market stalls, petrol stations, specialist vape shops and supermarkets
Manufacturers
Wholesalers
Importers
Healthcare settings and stop smoking services
Retailers are still allowed to sell reusable vapes.
Rogue traders who continue to sell them risk a fine of £200 in the first instance, followed by an unlimited fine or jail time for repeat offending.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
40 minutes ago
- Yahoo
‘It's Harry's team now': Brook makes instant impact in England's new era
It is just three games, one series, played at home against one of the few major cricketing nations ranked even lower than them. But if it would be unwise to get carried away with England's clean sweep of West Indies there was no mistaking what we witnessed along the way: green shoots, tender and fragile but undeniable, desperately needed signs of renewal after a period of atrophy. The genesis of a new team, under fresh leadership, with fresh emphases and impetus. It has been overdue. From the miseries of the last World Cup to the indignity of this year's Champions Trophy, England's recent 50-over record is dire. Between the start of that World Cup and this summer they played 26 games and won only seven, along the way playing bilateral series against West Indies, Australia, West Indies again and India and losing them all. Advertisement Related: Jamie Smith's rapid response to West Indies fireworks sets up ODI sweep for England After Matthew Mott was appointed coach and Jos Buttler took over the captaincy in the middle of 2022 results nosedived: even Buttler's best year in the job, 2023, was worse than any of the seven his predecessor, Eoin Morgan, spent in charge, and of his last 15 games England won only three. Mott left last July and has since been replaced by Brendon McCullum, while Buttler stepped down in February saying he had 'just reached the end of the road'. His team looked knackered and almost as miserable as those who had to watch them. Not any more. 'It's a new era,' Harry Brook said after the first game at Edgbaston last week. 'We're trying to forget about the past.' And the sooner that happens the better. There are still long-term relics of the last era in Adil Rashid, Joe Root and Buttler himself, the only players to feature in this series with as many as 30 ODI appearances (and between them that trio has 522). Meanwhile players about whom Buttler and Mott never seemed able to make up their minds have been backed. Advertisement The big call is the promotion of Jamie Smith, who after his debut played 10 of 17 games under Buttler and whose record as opener is short and unexceptional. The decision left even the player himself 'a little bit surprised' but his 28-ball 64 at the Oval on Tuesday, in just his third innings there, showed his potential and the position is his for the foreseeable future. 'He's going to have a good go at it at the top in one-day cricket,' Brook says. Will Jacks, a player more used to opening, has dropped down the order to No 7. Despite his obvious ability after his debut in 2023 Jacks played just 15 of England's next 35 games and when they awarded their central contracts that year was not only snubbed but found out about it 'on Twitter like everyone else'. Now he has been told to make himself at home. 'This is Harry's team now,' Jacks said. 'It's just about bringing a lot of energy. It's a fresh start.' But if there is a degree of novelty about the team selection, the real innovations have been in the field. Brook is a young captain at 26, and quite inexperienced with just 29 ODIs, and 44 50-over games in all, to his name, but he is clearly confident in his judgments. The results look certain to be entertaining and have the potential, glimpsed over the past few days, to also be successful. He likes to position himself near the bowler – the stopclocks permanently adopted last year make it hard for a captain to be anywhere else while effectively communicating, and England still received two time warnings in Tuesday's third game – but at times he fielded not at a traditional mid-on or mid-off but behind the bowler's arm. He likes to leave gaps that batters can exploit, but not in the places they are used to finding them. Advertisement 'I like to try and get a little bit funky with fields and try to mix it up a bit, get the batters thinking,' Brook said. 'He might not always be the most intelligent away from cricket but he understands the game exceptionally well,' Root said affectionately (and it is telling too that Root, in Cardiff, and Buttler, with a free-hitting cameo at the Oval, produced their best batting displays in the format for some time). 'I think that's what will make him a really good leader. He might see the game slightly differently, and he might do things differently, but it asks different questions of a batter. There was a phase in the game where we had quite unusual fields, but they found it hard to rotate. It built pressure. It led to wickets.' ODIs are often seen as something of an afterthought, and the next serious test in the format is a World Cup in late 2027. Attention now switches to T20s, with three games against West Indies starting in Durham on Friday and a World Cup looming next February. For Brook it is another fresh and unfamiliar challenge but England's new captain has already inspired that most vital of all sporting commodities: hope.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Football's equivalent of the Hobbits' return to the Shire
YOU SHALL NOT PASS Like The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, just when you think the football season has finally been wrapped up and you're waiting for the closing credits to roll, along comes another clatter of matches to leave you in serious doubt that this hamster wheel of ours will ever stop turning. In recent weeks the climactic (and often anticlimactic) battles have been fought, the subsequent coronations have been staged and now in what seems like the perfect time for a nice refreshing break in which to recuperate, recalibrate and prepare for the nonsense that is the Club World Cup, Football Daily finds itself forced to contend with the football equivalent of the Hobbits' return to the Shire that is the latest international break. Oh to be Frodo, sailing off into the unknown of the Undying Lands. Advertisement While Football Daily likes to think it has its finger firmly placed on the football pulse, it behoves us to admit that we'd completely forgotten that England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland are all due to play this weekend. And it is a good thing the respective governing bodies of all five teams were not similarly absent-minded for fear they might have been forced to spend the coming days scouring the bars and beaches of Ibiza trying to find players willing to represent their national sides in their imminent double-headers. Truth be told, a quick trawl of any random beach in the UK would probably yield enough decent English players to see off Andorra in Saturday's World Cup qualifier but that hasn't stopped Thomas Tuchel's latest squad selection for that game and a subsequent friendly against Senegal being taken very seriously indeed. Predictably overwrought has been some of the wailing and handwringing over various inclusions and omissions from a 26-man group that is ostensibly in Barcelona to take on a ski resort. In Liechtenstein, Wales host similarly exalted opposition in the first game of their qualifying double-header that concludes with a trip to Belgium, but you can be sure Craig Bellamy will not be taking the minnows lightly. Famously intolerant of international teammates who didn't pull their weight during his time as a player repeatedly failing to qualify for major tournaments – or simply colleagues refusing to sing – Bellamy has brought the intensity of 10,000 TV dramas starring Stephen Graham to his role as head coach. 'From his first meeting you could tell how much he wanted to achieve here – big things – and straight away he wanted to drill things into us,' trembled Swansea's Ben Cabango of his gaffer, who has yet to taste defeat as Wales boss. 'I feel like he's not laid off that one bit. We're not here for a large amount of time so it's quite intense when we are here.' Proceedings are likely to be considerably less intense in the other camps, with only friendlies looming in the short-term for all three nations. The big news from an Ireland camp preparing for summer kickabouts with Senegal and Luxembourg has been the tardy arrival of Caoimhin Kelleher due to him having to cough for the doctor at Brentford, while Northern Ireland have recalled Kelleher's former teammate Conor Bradley for their games against Denmark and Iceland, after he missed the last international break through knack. And finally, having just checked to see if Steve Clarke is still the manager of Scotland, we can reveal that he very much is and will be hoping his side can avoid the potential embarrassment that comes hand in hand with friendlies against Iceland and Liechtenstein, before an eminently winnable qualifying campaign that kicks off in September. Now you know as much as we do, so make like Frodo and go away. LIVE ON BIG WEBSITE Join a mystery guest from 8pm BST for hot Nations League semi-final updates from Germany 2-1 Portugal. QUOTE OF THE DAY 'We had a backpack with snacks and we played around on our phones to kill time. The lights were on all the time and the sitting position was uncomfortable, so sleeping was almost impossible. That made it physically and mentally difficult' – Neal Remmerie explains how he, along with fellow Belgian TikToker Senne Haverbeke, spent 27 hours in an Allianz Arena bog before watching the Bigger Cup final for free. 'We looked carefully at which security guard was paying the least attention,' whooped Remmerie. 'While on the phone and with food in our hands, we just walked on, and suddenly we were inside.' FOOTBALL DAILY LETTERS I've just read your recent article regarding the York City owner's push for three promotion places from the National League to League Two (yesterday's Football Daily). I wanted to write in full support of her position – and to thank you for highlighting this vital issue. As a supporter of Dorking Wanderers, a club that finished sixth this past season and fell short in the playoffs, I can say with confidence that many clubs and fans across the National League share her view. The idea that a team finishing sixth or seventh – often 15 to 20 points behind second or third place – can leapfrog into the Football League while stronger teams miss out is increasingly hard to justify. You questioned whether York's owner would feel the same if her club finished seventh. I genuinely believe she would, as would many other club owners, including the management at Dorking. This isn't just about individual clubs – it's about fairness, progress, and ensuring that ambition is matched by opportunity. The National League has become increasingly professional and competitive, and its clubs deserve a pathway that reflects that. I hope the EFL takes note of this growing movement. Thank you again for covering this important topic – and please keep the conversation going' – Stephen Parrott. It's probably worth pointing out that the 3UP campaign is supported by all 72 clubs in the National League, including the North and South leagues, of which my team, South Shields, is part, although we certainly weren't troubling the playoff contenders this season just gone' – Phil Gibson. I'm sure I will be one of 1,057 pedants to point out that in the 2021-22 National League North season, Brackley Town finished second on 87 points, seven points ahead of the side that finished third and a whole 21 points ahead of the team that actually ended up being promoted through the playoffs. The name of the side in question … York City' – Andy Riddell (and others). Forget 3UP (yesterday's Football Daily), I've long thought 8UP to be the answer. A straight eight up and down across all divisions. It would take real commitment to spend 10 years in the same tier. Loads of different teams to play each year and different grounds to visit. You'd have an interest in matches through to the end of the season. And it would level the financial playing field nicely with so many teams yo-yoing. What's not to like?' – Dave Lambley. Advertisement If you do have any, please send letters to Today's winner of our prizeless letter o' the day is … Dave Lambley. Terms and conditions for our competitions, when we run them, can be viewed here. RECOMMENDED LOOKING Daniel Melamud has curated a collection of lovely images taken by some of the most respected snappers in the game. Do check out this selection. THE RIVER-SIGHS Michael Carrick has been hailed as part of a new breed of astute young manager almost as long as his tenure as Middlesbrough manager, which has ended after the best part of three years in the job (a lengthy spell by Championship standards). Boro announced Carrick's passage through the door marked Do One after a poor run-in that resulted in a 10th-placed finish. Carrick took Boro to fourth place and the playoffs in 2023, where they were beaten in the semis by Coventry, but they dropped back to eighth a year later. Failure to improve on that in the past 12 months means Carrick joins a number of Noughties England luminaries facing tricky times in management. He is followed out of the Riverside by his assistants Jonathan Woodgate (another Noughties England mainstay) and Graeme Carrick. 'We'd like to thank Michael, Jonathan, and Graeme for all their hard work and unwavering commitment. We wish them all the very best for the future,' blah-blahed a club statement as Boro seek a Premier League place for the first time since 2017. NEWS, BITS AND BOBS Millie Bright will not play for the Lionesses at Euro 2025. The defender has withdrawn from possible selection as 'it is the right thing for my health and my future'. Bright's withdrawal follows the international retirements of Mary Earps and Fran Kirby, the latter of whom confirmed her news after England's 2-1 Nations League defeat in Spain. Boss Sarina Wiegman is at least confident that Lauren James will be fit for the tournament. Advertisement Elsewhere in the WNL, Scotland drew 1-1 in the Netherlands, but Wales got a 4-1 hiding at home against Italy. 'The first half felt like a punch in the face,' sighed manager Rhian Wilkinson. 'Let's be clear, that was not a performance that I expect from this team.' Lucas Paquetá's spot-fixing trial has ended but West Ham have been left unhappy at having to wait up to eight weeks for a verdict. Stop us if you think that you've heard this one before … Manchester City are going on a spending jag. The first man in? Tijjani Reijnders of Milan, the Dutch attacking midfielder costing an agreed fee of €55m. Meanwhile, following Kevin De Bruyne's departure comes news that Scott Carson, the reserve goalie who has played 108 minutes and won 11 trophies, could also be doing one. Andrée Jeglertz, the Swede who will lead Denmark at Euro 2025, is in line for the Manchester City Women's top job. Advertisement Sheffield United are to be the lucky losers after Blackburn's withdrawal and remain in WSL 2 next season. Liverpool want Milos Kerkez. Bournemouth want £45m. Will Crystal Palace escape the bind that might deny the Eagles a first proper European tilt next season? John Textor, largest shareholder but also owner of Lyon, is trying to flog his shares in Palace to ease passage into Bigger Vase. 'All of the UK knows that I don't have decisive influence over Palace,' he roared. Liam Manning has done one from Bristol City to take over at Norwich. And Rio Ferdinand thinks that Manchester United's failings have made him a laughing stock. 'It's sad, man. I'm on TV, I've got to talk about this stuff. Everyone can take the mick out of me,' he wailed. 'I'm a meme sometimes on social media [disgraces] because of my team. So it's hard, man, I'm doing punditry in the worst possible time in Manchester through this terrible moment.' STILL WANT MORE? Thomas Müller, Patrik Schick, Vincent Kompany and Leipzig's 'scumbag football': all part of Andy Brassell's review of the German season. Advertisement Jacob Steinberg picks over why Jadon Sancho is back at Manchester United, after the end of his sale and return move to Chelsea. What next? Ben McAleer looks at the Premier League players who could possibly to with moves to reboot their careers. Get these bookmarked if you haven't already: our men's and women's summer transfer interactives. And this week's Knowledge investigates British players conquering Europe's top five leagues, late-career goalscoring centurions and huge gaps between league titles, among much else. MEMORY LANE Winding the clock back to 4 June 1997: Paul Scholes, 22, beams after scoring his first England goal, in only his second senior international, as Italy are beaten in Nantes. Scholes also laid on the other for his strike partner that evening, Ian Wright, as England ended up winning Le Tournoi, the warm-up event for the 1998 World Cup. Scholes has described his England career as an overall disappointment, but their performances in France that summer got everyone back home excited. Wright, knacked that following season, missed the World Cup. Only Mick Channon played more times for England without being selected for a World Cup or European Championships squad. These days, Scholes and Wright occasionally find themselves still paired up, reminiscing across Gary Neville's kitchen island on that show you see all over social media disgraces. JACKSON RETURNS!
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Why is there a row about the railway line between Oxford and Cambridge?
A row has broken out about the railway line between Oxford and Cambridge. The East West Rail Project is set to make travel across Britain easier, according to Network Rail, by re-establishing a link between the two university towns. But it is classed as an England and Wales project, meaning that Wales does not get a share of funding, unlike in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Opposition parties have called for the project to be changed to England-only. Rail infrastructure in Wales is a reserved matter, which means it is the responsibility of the UK government rather than the Welsh government. The Liberal Democrats said Wales would get more than £300m if the government changed the project to England-only. Wales would get that money through the Barnett Formula - the population-based method which decides how much money devolved governments get to spend. Politicians have similarly called on Wales to get "up to £5bn" of consequential funding from the HS2 project, which has also been classed as England and Wales. Wales's first minister, Eluned Morgan, told Sky News earlier this year she was expecting an "uplift" in money for Welsh railways and branded the HS2 funding "unfair". In a landmark speech last month, Baroness Morgan called for a "fair deal" for Wales as she sought to reset the relationship between the Welsh and UK governments. David Chadwick, Liberal Democrat MP for Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe, said it was "HS2 all over again". "All we want is Wales to be treated fairly, to receive the same treatment as Scotland and Northern Ireland," he said. Ben Lake, Plaid Cymru's MP for Ceredigion Preseli, said neither the East West Rail Project or HS2 have been "designed to deliver benefits to communities in Wales". "The UK government has previously designated large rail projects in England, such as Cross Rail in London, as projects benefitting England alone, and if it were to reclassify HS2 and the Oxford to Cambridge projects in the same way, Wales could stand to gain billions in consequential funding," he added. Sam Rowlands, the Welsh Conservatives' shadow transport secretary, said the project highlighted "further unfairness in funding". "The Welsh Conservatives have consistently called for Wales's fair share of HS2 funding and maintain that this new project must also deliver fair consequential funding," he added. Sky News has asked the Treasury for its response.
