Warning that disposable vapes ban ‘will backfire' as threat of £200 fines looms in just hours

The Sun

a day ago

EXPERTS have warned that the government's disposable vape ban will backfire.
The threat of fines looms with just hours left before disposable vapes are banned across the UK.
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Coming into effect on Sunday June 1, the ban will make it illegal for any retailer to sell single use vapes online or in store.
Only reusable vapes will be sold from June 1 with the government crackdown aimed at preventing youths from picking up the habit and protecting the environment.
Industry leaders have today warned that the ban will backfire with a slew of unintended consequences expected.
Experts shared concerns that the ban will result in the vape losing its original purpose as an aid to quit smoking.
Concerns have been raised that after the ban smokers who moved away from cigarettes with the help of vapes will return to the deadly habit.
Experts said that without disposable vapes smokers could return to tobacco or, even worse, unregulated vapes.
Evidence from the USA and Australia indicates vape bans create a boom in black market, counterfeit vapes being sold.
Disposable vapes have been extremely popular with smokers looking to kick the habit because they are as easy to use as a traditional cigarette.
Experts said the ban was a "disproportionate response" to youth vaping and environmental concerns.
Industry leaders said looking at other options like enforcing existing laws and education should have been considered.
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.'
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Further restrictions on disposable vapes are currently working their way through parliament.
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will see marketing, packaging and flavours of vapes also subject to restrictions when it is introduced.
Rogue traders who continue to sell the disposable vapes will face fines of £200 under the new legislation.
This can be followed with an unlimited fine or jail time if the trader persists in selling the products.
The Sun reported yesterday that retailers were selling off their remaining stock at discounted prices ahead of the ban.
Images showed baskets filled with the disposable vapes being sold off in bulk for cheap as retailers scrambled to empty their shelves.
There are just hours left before the products will be illegal to sell in stores or online.
Experts have warned that the disposable products will soon be replaced with near identical reusable vapes as firms scramble to get new legal models onto shelves.
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