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Metro
a day ago
- Business
- Metro
Disposable vape ban starts today - here's what it means
The sale and supply of single-use vapes has been banned today. People will still be allowed to smoke the controversial disposable vapes, but shops can no longer sell them legally. Ministers said the move is designed to protect children's health and prevent environmental damage, with devolved governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland also introducing the ban from today. Businesses were told to 'sell any remaining stock they hold and prepare for the ban coming into force' ahead of June. The illegal supply of single-use vapes carries a £200 fine at first instance from council Trading Standards, who enforce the ban. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video If the supply continues, punishment could be an unlimited fine, a prison sentence of up to two years, or both. Many users have said that they are willing to resort to the black market when the ban starts, and they typically have about nine week's worth of disposable vapes. A ban was previously announced by the Conservative government in January, but was not enacted until after the general election. Disposable vapes are considered extremely harmful for the environment, being difficult to recycle and full of harmful waste such as lithium, battery acid and mercury. Holly Bowman, a 17-year-old schoolgirl from Ireland, began vaping when she was just 12 and 'really regrets' that decision. When I started vaping it was no big deal,' she said. 'It was just something that everyone else did and it made me feel grown up. At no point did I think it was going to be a long-term thing. 'Little did I know I would become addicted so quickly. When you're 12 you don't even know what addiction is really. 'Five years later I still can't kick the habit. Both the cost and health implications aren't sustainable for me. It's a decision I really regret.' Holly's Mum, Nicky Bowman, sits on the board of management at an Irish school and says vaping is a challenge she has deal with every day. 'It's a huge problem,' she said. 'We've had to increase CCTV at the school because there were hidden corners where kids would vape in between lessons. We had to introduce new toilet rules because kids as young as eleven are vaping. To make matters worse, batteries thrown into bins cause hundreds of fires at waste processing centres and the back of refuse trucks every year. It is estimated that around 40 tonnes of lithium has been discarded in the past 12 months- enough to power 5,000 electric vehicles. The Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (Defra) estimates that almost five million single-use vapes were either littered or thrown away every week in 2023. And vape use in the UK has boomed. Around 9.1% of the population is believed to have bought and used them – a 400% increase between 2012 and 2023. However, latest figures from Action on Smoking and Health show that use of single-use vapes fell from 30% in 2024 to 24% so far in 2025. Despite the rapid popularity many products can only dream of, 40% of users said they are in favour of the ban, according to a poll of 1,000 adults by übbs Pouches, an online nicotine brand. Defra's circular economy minister, Mary Creagh, said that '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.' Caroline Cerny, the deputy chief executive at Action on Smoking and Health, 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.' Around 48% of children caught vaping are less than eleven years old, research has found. It is already illegal to sell disposable vapes to anyone under 18, but the smaller, more colourful packaging on many of them is seen as a 'key driver behind the alarming rise in youth vaping', the previous government said. Although vaping is considerably less harmful than smoking cigarettes, it has not been around long enough for its long-term effects to be studied, according to the NHS. Nor should its addictive qualities be downplayed. Speaking about the ban on Good Morning Britain, ITV presenter Kate Garraway admitted becoming 'instantly addicted' to vaping again after giving it during pregnancy. She told hosts Susanna Reid and Richard Madeley: 'The last thing I want to do is anyway in sanction [vaping], because I don't know. 'But my experience was, after Billy was born, I did smoke before and I was craving going back to smoking [but] didn't want to.' But after stumbling upon some vapes which were being used on set as 'props', she said her addiction was instantly reignited. 'I think we had some props in here or something ridiculous, and I picked it up and I was instantly addicted, like beyond anything! 'I couldn't believe it and it made me realise how, particularly those disposable ones, are so addictive.' She added: 'They're so easy to do, and they deliver such a hit, so I don't know that it's a solution to ban the disposable ones, but they're everywhere.' Mum Crystal Baynam spoke to Metro about her dismay upon discovering her 15-year-old daughter had started vaping at school. She said: 'Katie, just 15, had been caught using a vape, and I was completely stunned. 'This was despite the fact that a few weeks earlier I had found a disposable vape – pink lemonade flavour – in her room, which Katie had explained away, claiming it belonged to one of her friends. 'When I received the message about Katie's detention, I was also told that they could throw the vape or give it back to her. 'It shocked me that handing kids back a vape was even an option, and without a moment's hesitation, I told them to throw it away.' She added: 'Katie has confessed that she loves some of the bright colours on the packaging, which is why I agree with the government's conclusion these products are aimed at children. More Trending 'The fact that these vapes are cheaper and disposable too, makes them easier for teens to afford and hide from their parents. I certainly didn't suspect anything until that call from the school. 'Now, I can't get my daughter to quit.' Libby Peake, head of resources at Green Alliance, said: 'Single use vapes should never have been allowed on the market. They've been a blight on our countryside, wasted resources needed for important uses like EV batteries and caused scores of fires at waste sites. And they've done all this while having a lasting impact on the health of young people, creating a new generation of nicotine addicts. 'The government should rightly be proud of taking this vital step to get rid of these polluting products and encourage people who want to quit smoking to opt for reusable and refillable options instead.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Disposable vapes officially banned in the UK from today MORE: Champions League final odds: Paris Saint-Germain's youngsters can lift trophy for the first time but may need to go the distance against Inter Milan MORE: Customers sing the praises of Uniqlo's £34.90 'crease-free' barrel leg trousers that fit like a glove
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Vape ban explained: All your questions answered as single-use disposable e-cigarettes become illegal today
Disposable vapes will banned across the UK on Sunday in a government crackdown on e-cigarettes. From June 1, it will be illegal for businesses to sell or supply single-use vapes, such as Elf bars and Lost Mary, in shops and online. Only devices considered reusable - with a rechargeable battery and replaceable coil - will be allowed. The law is aimed at protecting the environment and tackling a surge in youth vaping rates, which have soared from 0.8 per cent in 2013 to 7.2 per cent last year. Disposable vapes, known for their variety of flavours and brightly coloured packaging, have become increasingly popular among teenagers. Moreover, an estimated 5million single use vapes, which are available to buy at pocket money prices, are thrown away in the UK every week. How is the law changing? The new law which comes into effect on Sunday will ban businesses from selling or supplying disposable vapes. Retailers in England who are caught breaking the law face a minimum £200 penalty or a two-year-prison sentence for repeat offenders. Any single-use e-cigarettes that are found on sale, will be seized by Trading Standards. Rechargeable vapes that are refillable and have a battery and replaceable coil will remain on the market. It will not be illegal to own or be in possession of a single-use vape - with reports that millions of Brits have stockpiled the devices in preparation for the ban. MailOnline revealed this month that nearly 40 per cent of vapers have enough disposable e-cigarettes to last three months. All ages showed interest in stockpiling but it was 45-54-year-olds who led the way, with almost 90 per cent saying they were putting together a collection in preparation. Will vapes be taxed more? Vapes are not currently subject to an additional tax like tobacco products, although 20 per cent VAT is charged. However, a new vaping duty is being introduced by the government on October 1 next year. It will be charged at a flat rate of £2.20 per 10ml vaping liquid. Vape advertising is also set to be banned as part of the government's Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which is currently making its way through parliament. How many young people vape in the UK? Rishi Sunak initially announced the plans to ban disposable vapes in January last year. The former prime minister was acting on evidence that those taking on the habit across all age groups had ballooned by more than 400 per cent since 2012. Moreover, recent NHS figures showed a quarter of 11 to 15-year-olds in England have tried vaping, with almost one in 10 using e-cigarettes regularly. And the highest rates of disposable vape use are among those aged 18 to 24, a survey of 4,393 British adults previously revealed. Disposable vapes, such as Elf bars and Lost Mary, are known for their brightly coloured packaging and wide variety of sweet flavours. The British Medical Association previously warned that flavours such as bubblegum and candy floss could lead to nicotine addictions among children. Why are single-use vapes so bad for the environment? A key reason for the introduction of the ban on disposable vapes is to protect the environment. An estimated 5 million single use vapes, which are available to buy at pocket money prices, are thrown away in the UK every week, according to government figures. Disposable vapes contain lithium-ion batteries and circuit boards which can leak toxic chemicals such as cobalt and copper into the environment. The devices should never be put in regular bins and should be put in dedicated bins so they can be disposed of correctly. MailOnline previously reported that only 17 per cent of people correctly recycle their vapes in a shop or local recycling centre. How are vapes harmful for your health? The NHS has historically recommended vapes to help people quit smoking, which is one of the biggest causes of illness and death in the UK. Around 76,000 people die every year from smoking-related health problems, including heart disease, strokes and cancer. E-cigarettes are far less harmful and can help people quit smoking for good, according to the health service. However, vaping is not risk free. E-cigarettes contain harmful toxins and their long-term effects remains a mystery. Some doctors fear a wave of lung disease and even cancer in the coming decades due to vaping. Experts are also concerned the high nicotine content might increase blood pressure and cause other heart problems. Freedom of Information requests revealed that 24 children in England were hospitalised due to vaping since the start of 2022. These could include lung damage or a worsening of asthma symptoms. Could the ban push vapers back to smoking? A report previously warned that the disposable vapes ban could push 200,000 people back to smoking when it comes into effect. Future Health Research Centre said the move risks undermining progress towards a 'smokefree' Britain if vapers are not supported to maintain their 'quit journey'. Modelling scenarios based on its findings indicate the disposable vapes ban will see between 175,000 and 378,000 people stopping vaping, and between 630,000 and 1.36 million people switching to another vaping product. But the smoking rate could increase by between 90,000 and 200,000, adding 0.2 per cent to 0.4 per cent to the overall population smoking rate. Richard Sloggett, the report's author and a former government advisor, said: 'The Government has committed welcome and strong action to reduce smoking and tackle youth vaping. 'However these findings show that urgent work is needed to ensure that efforts to reduce youth vaping do not have the unintended consequence of increasing the numbers smoking – particularly amongst younger people. 'The ban also feels like being a missed opportunity, with hundreds of thousands of people soon to be looking for alternatives to disposable vapes but over half saying they will simply switch to another product. 'With the ban looming, the Government now needs to get on the front foot, commit to a national mass media anti-smoking campaign and set out more clearly how it will use its forthcoming regulatory powers through the Tobacco and Vapes Bill to help ensure that those using disposable vapes do not turn to smoking instead.'
BBC News
2 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Leicester: 'Hard core' expected to ignore single-use vape ban
Leicester Trading Standards has said it is gearing up to tackle a "hard core" of businesses it expects will flout an incoming ban on single-use Standards said it had written to almost a thousand businesses in the city ahead of a ban on buying and selling disposable vapes from 1 June to advise them of the new team manager Ron Ruddock said these only represent "the tip of the iceberg" of places which currently sell vapes and "we're also likely to have a hard core that probably won't comply".He said officers will act on "intel" after the change in the law to focus on those "most likely to be mis-selling". Only devices considered to be reusable will be legal from Sunday - they must have a rechargeable battery, a replaceable coil and be refillable. Businesses or individuals that continue to supply, offer to supply, or have in their possession to supply single-use vapes from June, could face an unlimited fine and a prison sentence of up to two UK government wants to reduce the impact on the environment – an estimated five million disposable vapes were thrown away every week last year – and cut the number of children and young people experts agree anyone who does not smoke should not start vaping, as it may cause long-term damage to lungs, hearts and Ruddock said: "In many ways it's not a massive change, but in terms of enforcement it's a lot of work - it will take a lot of resource to police it." 'Focus our efforts' He said: "There's such a broad spectrum of sellers, we don't know every store that sells vapes, but what we've done is put together a list of almost a thousand businesses that we recognise as selling vapes or likely to sell vapes and then we've sent them out a package of information."Mr Ruddock said a number of shops were reducing their prices to clear stock ahead of the then the "whole team" will begin the task of ensuring businesses comply, working with Leicestershire Police and other officers within the city said: "I think we'll get compliance amongst a broad sector of the business community but we're also likely to have a sort of a hard core that probably won't."We cannot visit every single premise that may or may not be selling vapes but I think we will focus our efforts on those that are most likely to be selling and perhaps mis-selling."
BBC News
3 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Reporting Illegal Vape Selling
If you are worried about a retailer illegally selling vapes, do not confront them. This is for your own safety, let the authorities handle should report it to Trading StandardsContact your local council's Trading Standards team, who handle enforcement of vape can do this via the Citizens Advice consumer helpline:📞 0808 223 1133 (freephone)💻 Or online at externalYou'll be asked for:Retailer's name and locationWhat you saw or bought (e.g. high-nicotine, oversized, no warnings)Receipts, packaging, or photos if possibleIf a shop is selling to children or teens, include this in your report — it's a serious can contact Crimestoppers anonymously at:📞 0800 555 111 💻or online at external
Rhyl Journal
5 days ago
- Business
- Rhyl Journal
Denbighshire County Council to enforce ban on vapes
The Environmental Protection (Single-use Vapes) (Wales) Regulations 2024 will make it a criminal offence to supply or offer to supply (including for free) single use vape products to consumers in Wales, as the law aims to prevent environmental damage caused by the production and incorrect disposal of these products. The ban will include vapes containing nicotine, non-nicotine, CBD and other health/vitamin devices, and the Council's Trading Standards team are encouraging Denbighshire businesses to switch to reusable products before the ban comes into place. When the ban comes into force, businesses will have to: For a vape to be considered re-useable, it must be: Businesses who still have banned products should speak to suppliers or existing disposal companies about how to recycle them safely and legally. Councillor Alan James, lead member for local development and planning, said: 'The decision to ban single use vapes is an important step in reducing the health risk that is associated with them as well as tackling the environmental damage that we have seen it can cause in our County. 'It's also important to note that there are specific ways that businesses can dispose of these single use vapes safely. "They cannot be placed in household waste due to the risk of them catching on fire and must be disposed of safely at the household recycling centre. 'I would encourage any businesses that would like more information on the future ban to contact our Trading Standards team." If you need any further advice or assistance, please contact the Trading Standards team on 01824 706 057 or email tradingstandards@
