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Sky News
2 days ago
- Business
- Sky News
Why stockpiling vapes could be dangerous - as ban on disposables nears
Why you can trust Sky News A ban on disposable vapes comes into force tomorrow, with a warning issued about the "life-threatening dangers" of stockpiling. From Sunday it will be illegal for any business to sell or supply, or have in their possession for sale, all single-use or disposable vapes. Online nicotine retailer Haypp said 82% of the 369 customers they surveyed plan to bulk purchase the vapes before they are no longer available. But the vapes contain lithium batteries and could catch fire if not stored correctly. While more than a third (34%) of people surveyed by Haypp said they would consider buying an illegal vape after the ban, the overall number of people using disposable products has fallen from 30% to to 24% of vapers, according to Action on Smoking and Health. Shops selling vapes are required to offer a "take back" service, where they accept vapes and vape parts that customers return for recycling - including single use products. The Local Government Association (LGA) led the call for a ban two years ago, due to environmental and wellbeing concerns, and is warning people not to stockpile. Cllr David Fothergill, chairman of the LGA's Community Wellbeing Board, said: "Failing to store disposable vapes correctly could cost lives, given the significant fire risk they pose." How disposable vapes catch fire - or even explode Figures obtained by the Electric Tobacconist, via Freedom of Information requests, found an increase in vape related fires - from 89 in 2020 to 399 in 2024. Many disposable vapes use cheap, or even unregulated lithium-ion batteries, to keep the costs down. These batteries often lack proper safety features, like thermal cut offs, making them more prone to overheating and catching fire. If the battery is damaged, or overheats in any way it can cause thermal runaway - a chain reaction where the battery's temperature rapidly increases, causing it to overheat uncontrollably. 0:49 Then, once these fires start start, they are very hard to stop. Water alone can make things worse if the battery is still generating heat, so they require specialised fire suppressants to put them out. Batteries can then re-ignite hours, or even days later, making them a persistent hazard. Disposable vapes are a hazard for waste and litter collection and cause fires in bin lorries, even though customers have been warned not to throw them away in household waste. They are almost impossible to recycle because they are designed as one unit so the batteries cannot be separated from plastic. Some 8.2 million units were thrown away, or recycled incorrectly, every week prior to the ban. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said usage among young vapers remained too high, and the ban would "put an end to their alarming rise in school playgrounds and the avalanche of rubbish flooding the nation's streets". Circular economy minister Mary Creagh said: "For too long, single-use vapes have blighted our streets as litter and hooked our children on nicotine. That ends today. "The government calls time on these nasty devices." 'One in five say they will return to cigarettes' Separate research by life insurance experts at found two in five people (37%) planned to stop vaping when the ban starts. Nearly one in five (19%) said they would return to cigarettes once the ban comes into force. The research was based on the answers of 500 UK adults who currently vape.
The Independent
2 days ago
- Health
- The Independent
Disposable vapes ban to come into force in bid to improve health and cut litter
Disposable vapes are banned from the shelves of all shops from Sunday in a bid to cut their use among young people as well as the 'avalanche' of litter they create. The crackdown on the devices, also known as single-use vapes, makes it illegal for any retailer – ranging from corner shops to supermarkets – to sell them. 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. Retailers are still allowed to sell reusable vapes. It follows the soaring use of disposable vapes in schools and a flood of plastic rubbish from the discarding of the devices. Disposable vapes are non-refillable and unable to be recharged, and are typically thrown away with general waste in black bins or littered rather than recycled. Even when they are recycled, they need to be taken apart by hand, while their batteries are a fire risk to recycling facilities and can leak harmful chemicals into the environment. 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. Figures from the charity Action on Smoking and Health (Ash) suggests the number of vapers in Great Britain who mainly use single-use devices fell from 30% in 2024 to 24% in 2025, while the use of disposables by 18 to 24-year-old vapers fell from 52% in 2024 to 40% in 2025. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said usage among young vapers remained too high, and the ban would 'put an end to their alarming rise in school playgrounds and the avalanche of rubbish flooding the nation's streets'. Circular economy minister Mary Creagh said: 'For too long, single-use vapes have blighted our streets as litter and hooked our children on nicotine. That ends today. 'The Government calls time on these nasty devices.' Ash deputy chief executive Caroline Cerny said: 'It's promising to see that many people switched away from disposable vapes to re-usable products well ahead of the ban. This is particularly marked among young people, who were more likely to use disposable products due to their attractiveness, affordability, and heavy marketing. 'This new law is a step towards reducing vaping among children, while ensuring products are available to support people to quit smoking. It will be up to manufacturers and retailers to ensure customers are informed and able to reuse and recycle their products securing a real change in consumer behaviour and a reduction in environmental waste. 'If behaviour does not change then further regulations will be possible following the passage of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.' Association of Convenience Stores chief executive James Lowman said: 'We have been working with retailers, the Government and Trading Standards for months on providing detailed guidance that sets out how to spot non-compliant vapes after the ban comes into force, as well as advising retailers on what they need to do with any stock of disposables left over on June 1. 'We strongly support robust enforcement activity, starting with the businesses that are already openly flouting the rules by selling illicit product and who will continue to sell disposable vapes once they're outlawed. 'It is essential that Trading Standards teams are given the resources they need to get illegal vapes and other products off the streets, as these rogue businesses undermine the work of responsible retailers across the country.' The UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) said its members had moved quickly to bring new fully compliant products to market well ahead of the June 1 deadline, but warned of 'serious unintended consequences' of bans as a regulatory measure. UKVIA director general John Dunne said: 'Vaping was invented to help adult smokers quit and disposable products became the most successful vape products to do so because they are simple to use and most closely replicate the sensation of smoking. 'We are concerned that this ban will encourage former smokers who have already transitioned from cigarettes – which kill 220 people every day in the UK – to return to combustible tobacco or opt for unregulated vapes. 'We also have clear evidence, from countries including the USA and Australia, showing that black market, counterfeit and illicit vape sales spiked when vape bans and restrictions are introduced.' The separate Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which is currently working its way through Parliament, also includes powers to potentially restrict the packaging, marketing and flavours of e-cigarettes.
Reuters
3 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
Global crises disrupt effort to get millions to quit smoking, report says
LONDON, May 30 (Reuters) - The COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and wars have combined to hamper global governments' plans to reduce tobacco use, derailing efforts to get an estimated 95 million people to stop smoking, a report endorsed by 57 campaign groups said on Friday. Governments had planned to reduce smoking rates among people over 15 by 30% between 2010 and 2025 as part of an action plan tied to global sustainable development targets agreed in 2015. But the timeline to achieve the goal was extended an extra five years in 2024 as other priorities pushed countries to divert resources away from implementing a World Health Organization treaty on tobacco control signed by 168 countries. "This ... delay represents an estimated 95 million additional tobacco users, who would otherwise have quit by 2025," said the report, submitted to the U.N. Economic and Social Council, which oversees global sustainable development. While governments have succeeded in reducing the number of smokers, the failure to hit the 30% reduction target means that 1,207,800,000 people are still smoking globally, instead of the target of 1,112,400,000, based on a Reuters calculation using smoking rates and population figures provided in the report. Published by Action on Smoking and Health Canada and endorsed by the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, Cancer Research UK and others, the report warned the delays could result in millions of additional deaths from tobacco use if sustained. The U.N. has already acknowledged that funding shortfalls, geopolitical tensions and pandemic-linked disruptions have pushed the world off track on most of the 17 wide-ranging sustainable development goals. Those goals aim, among other things, to reduce poverty and hunger and increase access to healthcare and education. The groups that endorsed ASH Canada's report urged governments to redouble their efforts on tobacco control policies such as tax increases and smoking bans.
BBC News
3 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
Disposable vapes ban unlikely to reduce appeal, says campaigner
The ban on single-use vapes is unlikely to reduce the appeal of e-cigarettes to teenagers because re-usable models are so similar to disposables, the head of a campaign group has vapes will be banned in the UK from Sunday in an effort to curb youth vaping rates and reduce electronic Hazel Cheeseman, chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health (Ash), said new reusable vapes are "very similar" to single-use vapes, meaning it is "unlikely [the ban] will have that much impact on the appeal of products". Circular Economy Minister Mary Creagh said the government was "taking action and banning single use vapes to reduce waste and environmental damage". The government has previously said the ban would "reduce the appeal of vapes to children".A quarter of 11 to 15-year-olds have tried vaping and nearly 1 in 10 vape often, according to NHS research from Cheeseman welcomed the legislation as a step towards tougher regulations on vaping products, but said stronger action will be needed to make vaping less appealing to young people who have never smoked. "Teenagers weren't drawn to these products because you could throw them away," she told BBC Breakfast. "They were drawn to them because they were brightly coloured, because they were cheap, and they were really, really available. All of those things will still be true on Sunday."Some reusable vapes have "identical" packaging to their single-use counterparts, are sold at the same price, and give customers little information about how to refill them, she said."The manufacturers are not making it easy for people to change their behaviour."The government's Tobacco and Vapes Bill, a separate piece of legislation, will give ministers the power to take action that "probably will reduce the appeal of these products to teenagers", she said. These actions include regulating the packaging and design of vape products, as well as restricting is substantially less harmful than smoking cigarettes, but it has not been around for long enough for its long-term risks to be known, according to the of this, it is only recommended as a method to help adult smokers quit. 'Big environmental burden' Despite her concerns about its effect on teen uptake, Ms Cheeseman said the disposables ban was "important regulation" that will help ease the "big environmental burden" of five million single-use vapes were thrown away each week in 2023, according to the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (Defra).As well as lithium-ion batteries, vapes contain circuit boards, which can leak toxic compounds if not disposed of properly.A switch to reusable vapes, which can be recharged and refilled with e-liquid, would in theory allow users to keep e-cigarettes for longer without creating some have raised concerns over whether the ban will have this Pike, lead officer for tobacco and vaping at the Chartered Trading Standards Institute, said reusable vapes costing the same as disposables "is a worry"."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," she told BBC Radio 4's Today added that there is a "cost benefit" to reusing and recharging a vape, instead of buying a new one, so she hopes fewer vapes will be thrown away. "But it is a potential danger," she Dunne, director general of the UK Vaping Industry Association, said the ban was "ill-thought out".Changing regulations to allow vapes to have larger tank sizes would have been "more sensible", he told the Today programme, as this would have increased prices from "around the £5 range" to up to £10 or £ ban on disposable vapes was first announced under the previous Conservative confirmed it would keep the legislation in October last year, with Defra minister Creagh saying disposable vapes were "extremely wasteful and blight our towns and cities".The government has also previously said banning disposables would "reduce the appeal of vapes to children and keep them out of the hands of vulnerable young people".
The Guardian
19-05-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Trump tariffs could lead to surge of cheap Chinese vapes in UK, experts say
China is set to flood Britain with cheap vapes, researchers have said, as manufacturers seek to capitalise on the world's second biggest market after Donald Trump's tariffs. A trade standoff between Washington and Beijing has thrown the business world into chaos, with investors watching as each country dares the other to blink first. After last week's uneasy truce, the total US import tax on Chinese-made vapes stood at about 60%. That has sent China's $11.1bn (£8.4bn) e-cigarette export industry, already scarred by stringent domestic restrictions in 2022, back to the drawing board. It comes as the UK's forthcoming ban on disposable vapes, which aims to reduce the number of devices that are thrown away – about 8m a week – and stop young people from taking up the habit, has brought new models of e-cigarette into the market. Deborah Arnott, an honorary associate professor at University College London and the former chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health, said China's natural response would be to target the UK. 'With reduced access to the US, there will be growing competition to sell to the UK market, as it's the main alternative,' she said. Factory owners have already felt the pinch over the past few weeks of global uncertainty, according to Dr Steve Shaowei Xu, a research scientist at the University of Waterloo, Ontario, and an expert on the Chinese e-cigarette industry. 'Already there are reports [that] shipments have been blocked and US orders cut in half,' Xu said, adding that the 'very sophisticated' industry would find ways to circumnavigate the current 'disaster'. Britain, where more than 90% of e-cigarettes are imports from China, has its own internal problems with vaping. Ministers are preparing for a domestic ban on disposable vapes from 1 June, with the aim of curbing youth vaping and reducing plastic waste. Experts are concerned that the industry has already come up with a workaround that will stymie the efforts of the UK government, while cheaper Chinese imports diverted from the US could put downward pressure on prices. Manufacturers have been rapidly developing new models that comply with the ban, with variations of popular brands now widely available. These vapes are rechargeable, and have a replaceable pod and a changeable coil, which means they qualify as a 'vape kit' and not a disposable. But experts say these often look 'very similar' to disposable versions, raising fears they will be treated as such. There are also concerns over the availability of refillable pods. The Guardian went to 30 stores in London and Manchester, looking for refills of the Elf Bar 600 prefilled-pod kit. Only two shops stocked them. Arnott said: 'All the main manufacturers produce these products now and they look the same and are very similar prices to the disposables they are replacing. 'My concern is that because they don't look any different and are still very cheap, people may carry on treating them like disposables and throwing them away rather than buying refills.' Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion Xu said the Chinese vaping industry was a 'very sophisticated, fast-moving consumer goods industry' and would continue to find workarounds to comply, particularly in the face of 'disaster' tariffs. He added: 'In the longer term they can try to move manufacturing overseas to circumvent the tariffs, but in the short term they have to find replacement markets to survive.' Scott Butler, the executive director of Material Focus, a not-for-profit organisation that runs the Recycle Your Electricals campaign, said the ban did not break the 'throwaway vaping' habit. He said: 'This ban takes the most environmentally wasteful and damaging types of vapes off the market, so that is a good thing. 'But millions and millions of vapes are going to continue to be sold, and unless there's real action to make it easier for the public to recycle them, they'll keep ending up in bins, on streets and in landfill.' An Elf Bar and Lost Mary spokesperson said: 'We can confirm our refill pods and containers are widely available across the UK, including all key wholesalers and major supermarkets – and that this scale continues to grow. 'However, we understand your concerns around refill accessibility, as we are not in a position to know the extent to which all other brands are making refill parts available. 'Although we have not had the opportunity to review the research in question, we are disappointed the availability of our refills does not appear to be fully reflected. To give an accurate and balanced picture of the current market landscape, it is important that all major brands are included.'
