Latest news with #youthvaping
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Disposable vape ban is now in force across the UK... but will shopkeepers abide? MailOnline investigates whether corner shops have halted sales amid Government crackdown
Shopkeepers flouted the new vapes crackdown today by selling single-use e-cigarettes on the first day of a Government ban. MailOnline found that one vape dealer in four was willing to sell the banned disposables to a reporter posing as a customer. They were happy to trade in the sweet-flavoured and brightly-packaged throwaway devices which have been ordered off the shelves to protect children's health and the environment. One trader even checked whether we were from trading standards before selling us a cola-flavoured disposable for £6. Dealers who were abiding by the law which came into force today complained that they stand to lose a fortune in stock they cannot sell. MailOnline toured the vape shops, shisha bars, corner shops and supermarkets of south London just hours after they opened their doors to customers. They face a £200 fine if caught selling the one-use devices blamed for fuelling a boom in youth vaping and a mountain of discarded cases. So popular is the move in Westminster that although the Tories drew up the legislation, Labour took it over and pushed it through after winning last year's General Election. But the MailOnline investigator approached 12 different sellers and was able to buy a one-use device from three. In Catford, south London, a general storekeeper seemed oblivious to his legal duty to sell only multi-use vapes. Asked if he had any disposables left over following the law change, he pointed to a shelf full of colourful boxes and asked: 'Which one?'. He sold us a watermelon-flavoured 20mg/ml Elfbar 600 disposable pod for £5, but we could also have chosen apple peach, grape, banana ice or others. Another storekeeper happily sold us a triple melon-favoured Lost Mary BM600 disposable for £5. Reminded that they were now banned by the Government, he said they were left with stock which they were trying to get rid of. A third shopkeeper in nearby Lewisham told us she was not allowed to sell disposables any more and had cleared her shelves. But she then asked whether we were customers or checking up on whether the ban was being observed. When she realised we were not from the council, she brought out what she said was her last remaining single use vape - a cola-flavoured Lost Mary BM600 priced at £6. In nearby Lee, an employee at Vape Man, which was not breaching the ban, said: 'We've lost lots of business because customers prefer the disposables. 'They like to buy the 600 pods but we can't sell them now so we are going to lose a lot of money. We have stock which we cannot sell. Business is definitely down. 'I'm not angry about it, but I am definitely worried. There is about £1,800 to £2,000 in stock there which we cannot get money back on. 'We don't know what to do with it. We can't send it back and we can't sell it so I guess it will have to be destroyed.' Other shopkeepers said they prepared for the ban by advising customers to switch from disposables to reusables before it came in. One, at Shisha Town, Lewisham, said: 'We told them we were going to have to get rid of the single-use ones and they gradually started switching over.' It is now 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. Disposable vapes of varying flavours on sale beneath children's sweets and lollipops in a store close to Birmingham -- January 29, 2024 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 five million single use vapes, which are available to buy at pocket money prices, are thrown away in the UK every week. According to new research by online nicotine retailer, Haypp, 82 percent of disposable vape users planned to stockpile ahead of the ban. Although the crackdown sought to curb use among young people and reduce the litter and environmental impact, stockpiling poses a threat to the environment and the health of young people. Cllr David Fothergill, Chairman of the LGA's Community Wellbeing Board, urged shops to comply with the new ban on single-use vapes, dubbing them a 'blight [on] our streets.' He added: 'We would also urge caution to anyone stockpiling disposable vapes. Failing to store disposable vapes correctly could cost lives, given the significant fire risk they pose.' Yet stockpiling current vapes on the market isn't the only concern, as green campaigners have warned of cheap new models with the same feel, look, and price as disposable vapes, flooding the market. Material Focus, an advocacy group for circular economies, has said vape manufacturers have been developing new styles that are cheap but meet reusable criteria, meaning they essentially circumvent the ban. They added that increasingly popular 'big puff' vapes are cheaper per inhalation than disposable vapes, arguing there there is little incentive for customers to reuse the product. Scott Butler, executive director of Material Focus, said: 'Without quick and extensive action, the threat of a 'vapocalypse' remains and new big puff and pod vape models are already contributing to an environmental nightmare.' He added that vape company design teams have been 'working their socks off to get new legal models on to the market' while the regulatory work was being carried out. 'To most users of these vapes, and shopkeepers even, they may not notice any difference in the old disposable vapes versus the new re-useable ones,' he said. Mr Butler said that while the ban will take some of the most environmentally wasteful products off the market, the UK may need more flexible legislation to tackle challenges around new models and waste. Chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health, Hazel Cheeseman, has said the incoming new rules 'may be insufficient' by themsleves. 'The Government cannot expect leopards to change their spots,' she said. 'If they want a vaping market with products that have minimal impact on the environment, do not appeal to teens and are safe and effective to help adult smokers quit, then further regulations are needed.' Asked on Friday whether the legislation would be enough to stop vape producers flooding the market with similar products, nature minister Mary Creagh said: 'Well let's bring in the ban first. That's what I would say.' Ms Creagh said the Tobacco and Vapes Bill currently progressing through Parliament will look at further restrictions on vape sales and use. 'I'm confident that my colleagues in the Department of Health will not hesitate to use those powers should what we're doing this weekend not achieve the goals,' she said. 'But I'm confident that it is already sparking a conversation among young people… getting them to ask the questions, getting them to understand that there's no such place as 'away' and that these are really difficult to recycle.' She added that most big puff vapes on the market do not have replaceable coils so they are within the scope of the ban. The Government is considering further ways to drive up levels of separately collected electrical waste including vapes as part of reforms to waste electrical and electronic equipment regulations. Under current rules, vape producers already have a legal responsibility to finance their collection for recycling. Vapes contain valuable and critical materials such as lithium and copper that are regularly binned in household waste, and if littered, they can also cause fires and other damaging or toxic impacts on the environment as well as wildlife. To help drive up recycling rates, Material Focus is calling for retailers to make more collection points available as well as the launch of a major communications campaign to drive public awareness about recycling the devices. Mr Butler said: 'The majority of vapers are either unaware of where to recycle their vapes or don't have a good experience of recycling them.'
Daily Mail
2 days 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.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Disposable vape ban begins but will teens quit?
The ban on the sale of single-use disposable vapes will come into force on Sunday across the UK, aimed at protecting children's health and the environment. It means shops and supermarkets will no longer be able to stock them - but they can still sell rechargeable or refillable devices. Disposable vapes have been cited as a key driver in the rise in youth vaping, while every year five million vapes are thrown away. Ministers predict it will have a significant impact but health experts say further regulation is needed to tackle youth vaping. Why are disposable vapes being banned and how harmful is vaping? 'I don't know what we'll do' - Vapers panic-buy ahead of disposables ban Disposable vapes ban unlikely to reduce appeal, says campaigner Retailers in England and Wales breaching the ban face a £200 fine for the first offence with potentially unlimited fines or jail for those who repeatedly re-offend. The ban was first announced for England and Wales by the previous Conservative government but the law was not enacted before last summer's general election. Labour then pushed ahead with it. Scotland and Northern Ireland have introduced their own bans, timed to coincide with the one in England and Wales. Vape use has risen rapidly over the last decade with 9% of the British public now buying and using e-cigarettes. Latest figures suggest about one in four vapers use the disposable versions, although that proportion has fallen since the ban was announced. And while it is illegal to sell vapes to anyone under 18, disposable vapes, often sold in smaller, more colourful packaging than refillable ones, have been cited as an important factor in the rise of youth vaping. Currently one in seven 18 to 24-year-olds vape but have never smoked. Vaping is substantially less harmful than smoking but it has not been around for long enough for its long-term risks to be known, according to the NHS. The environmental impact is considerable. Single-use vapes are difficult to recycle and typically end up in landfill where their batteries can leak harmful chemicals like battery acid, lithium, and mercury into the environment, the government said. Batteries thrown into household waste also cause hundreds of fires in bin lorries and waste-processing centres every year. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs estimates almost five million single-use vapes were either littered or thrown into general waste each week last year. Environment 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." But Action on Smoking and Health chief executive Hazel Cheeseman questioned what impact the ban would have, pointing out new refillable vape kits were coming on to the market that look and cost similar to the single-use ones. She said it would not be until the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which includes powers to regulate marketing, branding and advertising, came into power that the issue of youth vaping could be truly tackled. "Their appeal is driven by bright colours, wide availability and cheap prices," she said. "The new regulations will hopefully help to address the environmental impact, but government will need further regulations to address the appeal of products to teenagers." She said this was very much a balancing act as vapes were an important tool to help people quit. "Vaping is very much less harmful than smoking and is the most popular aid to quitting in the UK," she added. John Dunne, of the UK Vaping Industry Association, said bans were "not the answer". He said he was concerned that a black market in single-use vapes could develop and some people may be tempted to return to smoking cigarettes. "Disposables have played a huge role in reducing smoking levels amongst adults to record low levels. It's why we are seeing stockpiling in the lead up to the ban," he added. Scott Butler, executive director of Material Focus, an independent not-for-profit organisation, said that he was still concerned that vapes are still difficult to recycle and reuse. He said customers and businesses should demand sustainable options. "Given the rampant binning and littering that we already see, will we see any behaviour change? Only if producers, importers and retailers step up and meet their long existing legal obligations to provide and pay for takeback and recycling," he said. Help young vapers and don't judge, consultant says
BBC News
3 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
Disposable vapes ban begins but will teens quit?
The ban on the sale of single-use disposable vapes will come into force on Sunday across the UK, aimed at protecting children's health and the environment. It means shops and supermarkets will no longer be able to stock them - but they can still sell rechargeable or refillable devices. Disposable vapes have been cited as a key driver in the rise in youth vaping, while every year five million vapes are thrown predict it will have a significant impact but health experts say further regulation is needed to tackle youth vaping. Retailers in England and Wales breaching the ban face a £200 fine for the first offence with potentially unlimited fines or jail for those who repeatedly ban was first announced for England and Wales by the previous Conservative government but the law was not enacted before last summer's general then pushed ahead with it. Scotland and Northern Ireland have introduced their own bans, timed to coincide with the one in England and Wales. Less harmful Vape use has risen rapidly over the last decade with 9% of the British public now buying and using figures suggest about one in four vapers use the disposable versions, although that proportion has fallen since the ban was while it is illegal to sell vapes to anyone under 18, disposable vapes, often sold in smaller, more colourful packaging than refillable ones, have been cited as an important factor in the rise of youth one in seven 18 to 24-year-olds vape but have never is substantially less harmful than smoking but it has not been around for long enough for its long-term risks to be known, according to the NHS. The environmental impact is considerable. Single-use vapes are difficult to recycle and typically end up in landfill where their batteries can leak harmful chemicals like battery acid, lithium, and mercury into the environment, the government thrown into household waste also cause hundreds of fires in bin lorries and waste-processing centres every Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs estimates almost five million single-use vapes were either littered or thrown into general waste each week last 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."But Action on Smoking and Health chief executive Hazel Cheeseman questioned what impact the ban would have, pointing out new refillable vape kits were coming on to the market that look and cost similar to the single-use said it would not be until the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which includes powers to regulate marketing, branding and advertising, came into power that the issue of youth vaping could be truly tackled."Their appeal is driven by bright colours, wide availability and cheap prices," she said."The new regulations will hopefully help to address the environmental impact, but government will need further regulations to address the appeal of products to teenagers."She said this was very much a balancing act as vapes were an important tool to help people quit."Vaping is very much less harmful than smoking and is the most popular aid to quitting in the UK," she added. John Dunne, of the UK Vaping Industry Association, said bans were "not the answer".He said he was concerned that a black market in single-use vapes could develop and some people may be tempted to return to smoking cigarettes."Disposables have played a huge role in reducing smoking levels amongst adults to record low levels. It's why we are seeing stockpiling in the lead up to the ban," he Butler, executive director of Material Focus, an independent not-for-profit organisation, said that he was still concerned that vapes are still difficult to recycle and reuse. He said customers and businesses should demand sustainable options. "Given the rampant binning and littering that we already see, will we see any behaviour change? Only if producers, importers and retailers step up and meet their long existing legal obligations to provide and pay for takeback and recycling," he said.
CNN
3 days ago
- Health
- CNN
UK to ban sale of disposable vapes in response to soaring waste and safety risks
The sale of disposable vapes will be banned in the United Kingdom from Sunday, as the country becomes the latest to tackle the 'environmental nightmare' of the single-use devices. However, some campaigners warn that the new restrictions are just 'a drop in the ocean' in the war against plastic waste. The ban positions the UK among the first countries in Europe to legislate against disposable vapes, following similar moves in France and Belgium. An estimated 8.2 million disposable vapes – the equivalent of 13 every second – are discarded in the UK every week, according to an analysis released by environmental group Material Focus in December. In official guidance, the UK government described the disposable vapes as 'eyesores,' and said their widespread disposal has 'a hugely damaging impact on our environment and wildlife.' The plastics used in disposable vape products are 'nearly impossible for nature to completely break down,' it added. Improperly discarded batteries can ignite rubbish trucks and waste facilities, it added, with Material Focus linking such incidents to around 1,200 fires between May 2023 and May 2024. 'The ban will also help curb the rise in youth vaping,' the government said. 'Over half of children who use vapes report that 'disposable' models are their product of choice.' The legislation will not criminalize possession of disposable vapes. Instead, it targets retailers and distributors, who could face initial penalty fines of £200 ($270) for violations after Sunday. For continued breaches of the new law, an offender could be hit with further fines or a prison sentence. For those already tackling the environmental fallout, the ban is long overdue. 'Without quick and extensive action, the threat of a 'vapocalypse' remains,' Scott Butler, executive director of Material Focus, told CNN. 'New 'big puff' and 'pod' vape models are already contributing to an environmental nightmare. 'Vape producers are being infinitely creative with their products in order to avoid the forthcoming disposable vape ban,' he added. Anticipating the shift, major vape manufacturers began adapting their product lines ahead of the legislation coming into force. 'We have been proactively preparing for this shift,' a spokesperson for ElfBar and Lost Mary, which are both owned by Chinese firm Shenzhen iMiracle Technology, told CNN. 'From launching our first reusable product in the UK in mid-2022 to the development of reusable products in the wake of the legislation as early as a year ago.' But, on the ground, one London retailer warned that consumer habits may prove harder to shift. 'Customers prefer the older disposables, which provide 600 puffs, not the newer, non-disposable 6,000-puff versions. This is because they prefer changing the flavor of the vape more often,' Adi Patel, who works at Hari Off License in Shoreditch, east London, told CNN ahead of the ban coming into effect. 'The new vapes are also more expensive, which is more difficult for customers,' he added. Ahead of the ban coming into force, John Dunne, director general of the UK Vaping Industry Association, said in a statement: 'We've always maintained that bans are not the answer to the issues linked to the vaping industry, but enforcement of the laws that are already in place to protect children and the environment.' He warned that the measure could lead to a increase in vapers returning to cigarette smoking and create a black market for disposable products. Vape use has surged in recent years. An estimated 5.6 million people vape in the UK, according to a survey carried out by public health charity Action on Smoking and Health last year. Disposable vapes have proved popular among young adults trying to quit smoking, but their sleek design, bright packaging and sweet flavors have also appealed to teenagers. Almost 1 in 10 secondary school pupils in the UK vape 'frequently,' according to a National Heath Service survey published in October, and a quarter of 11- to 15-year-olds have tried vaping. One former user told CNN that he was first drawn to vapes by their wide range of 'flavors and colors,' but was uncomfortable with how easily they were discarded. 'I would just put them in the bin, it didn't feel like the right way,' said 17-year-old Brighton student Eaben Kusik. 'It felt a bit wasteful throwing (away) the battery with the vape after three days. 'At first I thought, 'I don't like the government banning things,' but I think it's a good thing,' he added. For environmental organization Greenpeace UK, the move marks progress – but not nearly enough. 'Disposable vapes are a clear environmental menace,' Laura Burley, co-head of Greenpeace UK's plastics campaign, told CNN. 'Welcome as the ban may be, it's a drop in the ocean compared to the tsunami of plastic waste still being produced.' A separate Tobacco and Vapes Bill, currently making its way through parliament, would give ministers power to further restrict vape packaging, flavors, and marketing – particularly those seen as targeting children.
