Latest news with #vapingban
Washington Post
a day ago
- Health
- Washington Post
UK bans single-use vapes to stem use by children and reduce harmful litter
LONDON — A ban on disposable vapes came into force across the U.K. on Sunday as the British government aims to stem their use by children, reduce litter and prevent the leaking of harmful chemicals into the environment. The ban makes it illegal for any retailer — online or in-store — to sell vapes, whether they contain nicotine or not. They will still be able to sell reusable vapes .
Yahoo
a day ago
- Health
- Yahoo
UK bans single-use vapes to stem use by children and reduce harmful litter
LONDON (AP) — A ban on disposable vapes came into force across the U.K. on Sunday as the British government aims to stem their use by children, reduce litter and prevent the leaking of harmful chemicals into the environment. The ban makes it illegal for any retailer — online or in-store — to sell vapes, whether they contain nicotine or not. They will still be able to sell reusable vapes. The crackdown follows the soaring use of disposable vapes in schools and a rising tide of trash as users dispose of the vapes. It is estimated that as many as 5 million disposable vapes are thrown in bins or littered every week across the U.K., rather than being recycled. A number of countries are seeking to regulate the vape market, which has grown exponentially over the past decade or so. Australia outlawed the sale of vapes outside pharmacies last year in some of the world's toughest restrictions on electronic cigarettes, while Belgium became the first European Country to ban the use of disposable vapes at the start of this year. California has been at the forefront of bringing in new regulations in the U.S. The U.K.'s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said usage among young people 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.' Also known as single-use vapes, disposable vapes are non-refillable and unable to be recharged, and are typically thrown away with general waste or just thrown on the street. 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 and potentially harming wildlife. Businesses were given six months to prepare for the change by selling any existing stock. Rogue traders who continue to sell them risk a fine of 200 ($260) in the first instance, followed by an unlimited fine or jail time for repeat offending. The U.K. Vaping Industry Association said its members had moved quickly to comply with the June 1 deadline, but warned of 'serious unintended consequences' emanating from too much regulation. 'We are concerned that this ban will encourage former smokers who have already transitioned from cigarettes, which kill 220 people every day in the U.K, to return to combustible tobacco or opt for unregulated vapes," said its director general, John Dunne. Separately, the British government is legislating to potentially restrict the packaging, marketing and flavors of e-cigarettes.
The Independent
3 days ago
- General
- The Independent
Warning issued to disposable vape owners before UK ban
Disposable vapes will be banned from all shops starting Sunday to reduce use among young people and address litter. The ban makes it illegal for retailers to sell disposable vapes, but concerns exist about people stockpiling them. The Local Government Authority (LGA) warns that lithium batteries in disposable vapes pose fire risks if not stored correctly, potentially leading to thermal runaway and toxic gas release. Disposable vapes are hazardous in waste disposal, causing fires in bin lorries and requiring manual disassembly for recycling, with costs borne by council taxpayers. The ban applies across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, with retailers facing fines for violations; the government aims to curb vaping among young people and reduce environmental impact.
BBC News
3 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."
The Independent
3 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.
