Latest news with #vapers
The Independent
4 days ago
- Health
- The Independent
Charity warns of disposable vapes ‘ticking time bomb' following ban
A 'ticking time bomb' of disposable vapes is set to enter the waste system this week, risking widespread fires because of the incorrect disposal of the devices' batteries, a charity has warned. Electrical Safety First urged vapers not to 'bin the battery' following the ban on the sale of disposable or single-use vapes from June 1. A survey for the charity found almost three in five vapers (58%) plan on throwing their old vapes into their household's general waste or recycling bin, prompting fears of fires in refuse trucks and waste centres. This is despite 71% of vapers admitting that they are aware that improper disposal of vapes can cause fires. Disposable vapes contain lithium-ion batteries, which if damaged can create explosive and highly toxic fires that are almost impossible to put out – a process known as thermal runaway. However, the incorrect disposal of these vapes in the general waste system can cause bigger issues. When general rubbish or recycling is collected, vapes are often crushed, compacted, punctured or soaked in liquids. This can cause the batteries within them to overheat or ignite, leading to fires that put workers at risk, risking millions of pounds worth of damage and disruption to waste services. Even if they do not start a fire, damaged batteries release harmful chemicals and materials that can damage the environment if not recycled responsibly. Many vape retailers offer take-back services for disposable vapes. Some councils also have recycling points at household recycling centres. Consumers can check their local council's website to find out if this is available in their area. Giuseppe Capanna, product safety engineer at Electrical Safety First, said: 'This week we anticipate many disposable vapes will come to the end of their life following the ban. 'With reports of vapers having stockpiled these devices there is a risk that a large number of them could end up in the waste system if they are thrown out incorrectly in the household bin. 'These devices contain lithium-ion batteries that can explode or catch fire if damaged or crushed if they make their way into bin lorries, creating a ticking time bomb that puts refuse workers and communities at serious risk. 'The safest option is to recycle them properly. You can recycle them through retail take-back schemes or at a local recycling centre that has dedicated facilities.' The crackdown on the sale of the devices now 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. 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. Censuswide surveyed 1,003 UK adults who own a disposable vape between May 22-27.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Study reveals life-threatening risk of vaping ban that comes into force today...as rule breakers face prison
The disposable vape ban imposed today could backfire, putting hundreds of thousands at risk of dementia, heart disease and organ failure, a new study has suggested. According to research involving 750 UK adults, 42 per cent of vapers will consider returning to lethal smoking if all vapes are banned. Over a quarter of participants also admitted that they have no plans to change their vaping habits, even in light of the disposables ban. As of today, 1 July 2025, shops and businesses can no longer sell disposable vapes, in a bid to stop young people engaging in the harmful habit. Breaching the ban could result in a number of penalties across the UK, including a minimum fine of £200 for businesses that sell disposable vapes in England. Repeat offenders will face up to two years in prison. Trading Standards will also be able to seize any single-use vapes they find. But, research commissioned by Vape Shop suggests the move risks undermining the Government's progress towards a smoke-free Britain. An estimated 5million single use vapes are thrown away every week in the UK. The new poll revealed that 44 per cent of vapers said they originally started vaping to quit smoking. Of the 750 vapers surveyed, 27 per cent admitted that they plan to continue vaping, despite the upcoming ban, with 52 per cent already using refillable and chargeable vapes. Chris Price, E-Commerce Manager at Vape Shop said: 'These findings show a real risk that following the disposable ban, we may see thousands pushed back to smoking—the very habit vaping helped them quit. 'With the 2030 smoke-free ambition, it's important that policy decisions don't undermine progress made over the last decade,' he added. The poll comes as a modelling study conducted by the Future Health Research Centre found that while the ban could see up to 378,000 people give up vaping, smoking rates could sky-rocket. The model scenario indicated that between 90,000 and 200,000 more people could pick up smoking following the ban. 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.' According to Cancer Research UK, vaping is far less harmful than smoking. This is because, according to the NHS, vaping exposes users to fewer toxins and at lower levels than smoking cigarettes. Smoking has been linked to at least 16 different types of cancer as well as various heart and lung diseases, infertility and a host of other complication, killing over 8million people every year. Analysis by the cancer charity found that on average, nearly 160 cancer cases attributed to smoking were diagnosed every day in 2023. However, research presented by Manchester Metropolitan University earlier this year challenged this, suggesting vapes could pose a similar health threat. Researchers say this is because vapes allow people to inhale nicotine as a vapour—produced by heating a liquid typically containing a mixture of harmful chemicals and flavourings. Experts are concerned this high nicotine content increases heart rate and blood pressure, as it does in smokers, making blood vessels constrict and damage artery walls. In the Manchester study, researchers tracked volunteers, aged 27 on average, all of whom had a similar level of fitness. They were given regular stress tests to measure the elasticity of their blood vessels and the speed of blood flow to their brains. Both smokers and vapers achieved a flat reading, signaling they had damaged artery walls that can no longer dilate—an almost certain sign of future serious cardiovascular problems, the researchers concluded. Further tests proved that the blood flow in smokers and vapers is similarly impaired, making them at risk of developing cognitive dysfunction, including dementia. Last year, MailOnline also discovered the number of adverse side effects linked to vaping reported to UK regulators has now eclipsed 1,000, with five of them fatal. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), more than 8million people die from tobacco use every year.
Daily Mail
26-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Disposable vapes ban could push 200,000 people back to smoking, report warns
The disposable vapes ban could push 200,000 people back to smoking when it comes into effect next month, a report warns. 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. But the Future Health Research Centre says the move risks undermining the Government's progress towards a 'smokefree' Britain if vapers are not supported to maintain their 'quit journey' and switch back to smoking. An estimated 5 million single use vapes, which are available to buy at pocket money prices, are thrown away in the UK every week. The research report 'Endgame: managing the disposable vapes ban and the journey to a smokefree future' contains new polling showing 45 per cent of vapers 'always', 'often' or 'sometimes' use a disposable device. The highest rates of disposable vape use are among those aged 18 to 24, the survey of 4,393 British adults reveals. As a result of the ban, 12 per cent of users say they will switch from vaping to smoking. Some 54 per cent plan to switch to another vape, 15 per cent intend to stop vaping altogether, and 9 per cent will try traditional nicotine replacement therapies, such as patches or gum. Modelling scenarios based on the 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.' The report, commissioned by Kenvue, the makers of Nicolette, calls for the Government to use new regulatory powers to limit vape branding, packaging and displays and restrict the of flavour descriptions on the products. It also calls for new targets to monitor and prioritise reductions in youth vaping rates and to re-commit funding to a national mass media anti-smoking campaign. Steve Brine, a former public health minister and previous chair of the Commons Health and Social Care Committee, who has contributed a foreword to the report, said: 'Smoking remains the single leading preventable cause of illness and mortality in the UK. 'The disposable vapes ban and the Government's wider action in tackling smoking present a massive step in the right direction for England in achieving the original smokefree ambition. 'But we are not there yet and as this research from Future Health shows, any complacency will have serious ramifications. 'The Government needs to make sure that those using disposable vapes are aware of the ban, the alternatives to switch to following its introduction and the dangers of taking up or returning to smoking.'
