Latest news with #vaping
The Sun
12 hours ago
- Business
- The Sun
Vapers vow to start smoking again as disposal e-cigarettes ban comes in TODAY as they moan it ‘won't make a difference'
THAT'S SMOKIN' Countless vape users admitted to stockpiling the disposable products ahead of the ban today VAPE users have vowed to return to smoking as a ban on disposable e-cigarettes came into effect today. Some vapers also moaned that the ban on single-use vapes would fail to make a difference, as users would be able to "find a way" to buy the now-illegal products. 6 6 6 As of today, it is against the law to sell single-use vapes either online or in shops - with the policy being introduced to try and protect children's health and the environment. Reacting to the ban, some vapers have said the ban will just lead them back to smoking, which many of them had initially quit by taking up vaping. Sam Horrocks, 34, from West Bromwich, West Midlands, is one of those people. He said: "I can't be bothered with the hassle of taking out a portable charger on nights out, I'll be back on the fags for sure. "To ban them outright is stupid - I've stockpiled a few but once they are all gone I'll be smoking again I reckon. "They were quick, convenient and easy but messing around with refills and charging up the devices just isn't for me." On top of sending people back to cigarette smoking, some also believe the ban will fail to stop getting vapes in the hands of children and those who are addicted. Scott Lawley, 39, also from West Bromwich, said: "I don't think it will make a difference. "Some dodgy people will find a way of selling them and others will just go to the refills. "If people want their vape or nicotine fix, they will find a way." Countless stores, fearful of losing out on unsellable stock, flogged off their vapes at dirt cheap prices. Many were desperate to clear shelves in order to avoid a hefty fine today, including one - Vapes and Candy in Wolverhampton - which was selling disposable vapes at a fraction of the price charged the month prior. The owner of the store, who did not wish to be named, explained that while his store would be fine with the ban, cornershops could be badly affected. He said: "Vape specialist shops like us will be fine, we have a few shelves of disposables left and that is it. "The cornershops who sell all sorts of cheap disposables will be the part of the market this will affect the most." 6 6 6 Vape Factorie - also in Wolverhampton - even rigged up a wheel of fortune style charity wheel to give people random flavours on the final day disposable vapes were legal to sell. But not all businesses are against the ban, with some saying that it's right for cornershops to be barred from selling the products which are harmful to the environment. Yasser Ali, from Vape Factorie, said: "We are not going to risk a fine so there will not be one disposable vape in the shop from today. "I actually agree with the ban, we sell wholesale and have concentrated on refillable vapes and the liquids for a long time now. "Disposable vapes are bad for the environment, and some of the corner shops which sell them are selling all sorts of things they should not." PEOPLE 'WILL MISS THE CONVENIENCE OF DISPOSABLE VAPES' Vape sellers in Shropshire also said they doubted the ban would improve people's health, fearing it would encourage many to revert to smoking. Liam Humberstone from Totally Wicked Vapes, which has shops in both Telford and Shrewsbury, said: "There are positive and negative aspects to the ban for vapers. "Starting with the most positive, it will be better for the environment, and it will be better for most consumers. "Less positive is that some will miss the convenience of disposable vapes, and so go back to smoking. "Single-use disposables are no more complex to use than lighting a cigarette. "So 'social smokers' that have been picking up a vape instead of 20 cigarettes for a night out might well return to their old ways. "At Totally Wicked we started releasing alternatives to disposable vapes well over two years ago, and the vast majority of our customers had already moved over to them before the ban was announced in 2024. "So while we have had to prepare for the ban this weekend in our own shops, our bigger challenge has been in helping the wholesale convenience and grocery chains we supply get ready for it." Ryan Davies Williams, from Evapo in Shrewsbury, however believes the ban will mean an increase in business. He said: "Instead of throwing away the disposables that people are doing - around eight million a day - I believe it will bring in a lot more business for the pod or refill systems that will help a lot more people quit smoking." 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 Vape users themselves had mixed opinions on the ban, with many focusing on how they would stockpile the disposable products. One customer from Vapes and Candy said yesterday: "I'm buying as many as I possibly can today. "They are so much easier to use than the refillable ones, which involves a lot of faffing around. "It is something else to charge, something to remember to charge before you leave the house. "There is none of that with disposables." Austeja Kiskyte, 18, from Heath Town, Wolverhampton, said she supports the ban, despite being a vape user herself. She said: "I support the ban because you see them on the floor, everywhere - they are bad for the environment. "You see children using them everyday; it is totally normal. "I did use disposable vapes for a few years, but recently have been using a refillable vape for a while now because it is cheaper." Rebecca Meakin, 18, from Wednesfield, West Midlands, has been vaping for four years and said she wasn't even aware of the ban. She said: "I do have a refillable one but the disposable ones are easier. "I did not know there was a ban, it is a shame - I like them. "I was vaping when I was 14 as were a lot of friends." The 4 horrifying things that can happen to your body after vaping VAPES were once hailed as miracle devices to help adults ditch cigarettes. But while the devices don't carry the same risks as tobacco, experts have warned that vaping might not be so harmless after all. Here are five ways vaping could damage young users bodies: 1. It could slow down brain development Vaping nicotine can permanently affect brain development in people under the age of 25, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It said that nicotine consumed during teenage years can harm the parts of the brain that control attention, learning, mood, and impulse control, as well as increase the risk of addiction. 2. It could lead to tooth decay Dr Michael Heffernan, a dentist at The Wessex Dental Specialist Care, said most vapes contain dangerous chemical that can harm your teeth and lead to decay. Puffing on the devices could also lead to mouth dryness, creating an environment in which harmful bacteria can grow. 3. It could damage heart health However, some of the chemicals found in vapes can be damaging to the heart, with the American Heart Association (AHA) stating that vaping is "as harmful to the body's cardiovascular systems as cigarettes". 4. It could cause lung disease Vaping from a young age could leave children with breathing difficulties, with paediatric respiratory consultant Dr Mike McKean saying he'd seen reports of people developing lung disease related to vaping. Researchers from the US also found that young people who vape are more at risk of bronchitis, inflammation of the airways, and shortness of breath. Read more on how vaping can affect your health here.
Daily Mail
16 hours 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.
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Woman Feels Guilty After Being Asked to Lie to a Friend's Husband About Her Drinking and Vape Usage as They Try for a Baby
A woman wrote on Mumsnet that she feels guilty lying to her friend's husband about her drinking and vape usage She said her friend and her husband are attempting to have a baby but they have suffered numerous miscarriages "I've been keeping it a secret out of my loyalty towards her," the woman saidA woman is feeling guilty about being asked to lie to her friend's husband. In a post on the U.K.-based forum Mumsnet, the woman said her friend and her spouse are in a 'rocky marriage" as they have been trying for a baby but have suffered numerous miscarriages. The husband, the woman said, wants his wife to quit drinking and vaping to increase their likliehood to conceive, but the woman said her friend is "hiding the fact that she's doing both from him." Recently, the woman said her friend's vape "fell out of her pocket" and her husband "saw it." The woman said her friend asked her to lie and say it belonged to her, but she wasn't onboard with the idea. is now available in the Apple App Store! Download it now for the most binge-worthy celeb content, exclusive video clips, astrology updates and more! "I tell her firmly, NO, that I feel very uncomfortable doing that, because it means that I am now lying to [her husband], who is also a friend of mine, and he's told me that he does not want her vaping," she wrote. "I've been keeping it a secret out of my loyalty towards her." Continued the woman, "I told her instead that she needs to tell [her husband], sincerely, that this is the last time FOR REAL that she smoked, but she tells me IT'S NOT GOING TO BE." Still, despite her decision to not back her friend, the woman said she is now thinking she should've. "I told her no, but I am feeling guilty," she explained. "I feel like I should have just said that the pen was mine, I left at their house so she was carrying it around for me, etc." "But a part of me did not want to lie for her anymore," the woman added. Other Mumsnet users overwhelmingly felt that the woman had nothing to feel guilty about. 'She's adult enough to be married, so she is adult enough to take responsibility for her actions,' one wrote. Another insisted, 'Never get involved in other people's lies.' Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest meanwhile, questioned why the couple, who had a relationship "full of red flags," wanted to expand their family when their relationship was not at its strongest. Read the original article on People
BBC News
20 hours ago
- General
- BBC News
'The ban on single-use disposable vapes has convinced me to quit'
A woman who has vaped for more than four years says she will use Sunday's ban on selling single-use disposables as an excuse to finally kick the Hunter said she started vaping before and after she stopped smoking traditional cigarettes, but describes it as "a nasty habit".The 28-year-old, from Nottingham, said the ban on selling some items that comes into force from the start of June is an impetus for quitting hopes it will help her save money and become healthier as a result. "I'm quite excited - I'm happy to have an excuse to finally quit and get away from it," she said."It's a perfect excuse, it's a perfect time, it's a waste of money, and a nasty habit."While one study released last month suggested the use of certain vapes was falling ahead of the ban, some shops in Nottingham have reported bulk-buying of single-use disposables before it becomes Ms Hunter, the temptation to keep coils spare and carry on vaping was never there, and she said she will "go for a run" rather than reach for a vape if she needs to relieve said she hopes the ban will bring "an effective change" in reducing litter and helping the environment, and added it was also helping persuade friends, colleagues and even her father to drop the habit."He's been waiting for an excuse to finish for a while, so he's been waiting for this ban [and] he's been counting down the days so he can say 'oh no, what a shame, now I have to stop'," Ms Hunter said."Pretty much everyone that I know is more than happy to put it down and use this as a final excuse to push them over the edge to quit."
BBC News
20 hours ago
- Business
- BBC News
Disposable vapes ban: Call for Northern Ireland Executive to set smoke-free target
As disposable vapes are banned across the UK, one charity is calling on the Northern Ireland Executive to create smoke and vape-free ban, which is in effect from Sunday, means that shops and businesses will no longer be allowed to stock and sell disposable found guilty of stocking or supplying single-use vapes in Northern Ireland could receive a maximum penalty of up two years in prison and a fine of up to £5, the public will still be able to buy reusable and Lung UK NI policy officer, Andrew Wilson, told BBC News NI he welcomes the ban and would like the executive to set a target for making Northern Ireland smoke-free. Speaking to BBC News NI, Mr Wilson said: "We would like the executive to push on from this with the momentum gained and perhaps look at creating smoke and vape-free places in Northern Ireland whether that's in our playgrounds, whether that's in schools or whether that's at our hospitals."He added that research shows there are "very real links with vaping to inflammation of your airways which will then exacerbate existing health conditions, whether you have asthma or COPD". The Tobacco and Vapes Bill is UK-wide legislation that would ban tobacco products for anyone born after January 1, would also bring in restrictions on the advertising and sale of vapes, as well as reviewing the packaging of Wilson said that the Northern Ireland Executive should publicly state its target for a smoke-free Northern Ireland and bring "a bit of equity with the rest of the British Isles who have all done so".He also called for a new tobacco control strategy. Environmental impact In Northern Ireland, the legislation to ban disposable vapes was passed by the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera).Its minister, Andrew Muir, said the single-use vape ban is an important measure to help the said it would also help people's health and alleviate potential fire risks. The minister said retailers are also obliged to take back disposable vapes for recycling once the ban comes in added that he has been engaging with his counterpart in the Republic of Ireland who is progressing similar legislation. What is a disposable vape? They are single useThey are already filled and chargedThey are activated by inhalingThe battery only lasts a short while, sometimes only a day, so they are designed to be discardedThey are often small and fit in a pocketThey do not have a replaceable coil and cannot be recharged or refilled Paul Lagan, who owns a chain of vape shops across Belfast, said the change would be better for the environment, but he has some concerns for the future."We're reducing waste - that's good as a business and as a vaping community," he said."One of the bigger concerns is the vaping tax that's going to be introduced next year where it's £2.20 on a 10ml bottle of liquid (for reusable vapes), effectively doubling the cost of many of these liquids."Mr Lagan said he thinks licensing vape shops could help prevent young people from accessing vapes as added that banning certain flavours could also create a black market for vapes rather than a preventative measure. Darragh McKay said the ban is a "very good idea" as disposable vapes are "all bright colours" and "not like cigarettes" which have warnings on them."I don't think vapes should be banned entirely because not often you see young people smoking like refillable vapes, it's always disposable vapes," he said."Refillable vapes are good for like your mum getting off cigarettes." Alison Nic Craith doesn't vape but thinks the new legislation is "great"."Particularly for kids, because there is so many 11 and 12-year-olds now that vape," she told BBC News NI."I think the shops should just be stricter and like checking IDs, I think that is the best way to go about it." Auron Cull, who does vape but would like to quit, thinks the ban on disposable vapes is a good idea."Whenever I walk about town I just see all these school kids walking about with e-cigs and they go into the shops," he said."In some cases it helps people to get off cigarettes, but then they get off the cigarettes and they're onto the vapes for X amount of time." John Watson doesn't vape but thinks the ban is a good idea because of the environmental impact the disposable vapes can have."I know quite a few people I work with are quite, not annoyed about it, but more kind of frustrated because of the handiness of going and getting one, they're not really wanting to have to go and buy cartridges to fill up," he said he knows of people who are "stock-piling" disposable vapes. Public Health Agency research found that 46% of year 14 school pupils surveyed currently vape, despite it being illegal to sell or supply vapes to under lead for tobacco control with the PHA, Colette Rogers, said the PHA is asking parents and carers to "to use it as an opportunity to discourage vaping among young people and take steps to stop vapes from falling into the hands of under 18s".
