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Disposable vapes are set to be banned across Britain next year amid fears children are illegally buying the devices.
New laws will reportedly give suppliers a deadline of 1 June 2025 to get rid of all stock across England, with the UK government expecting devolved nations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to follow suit.
The number of children vaping has tripled in the last three years with a significant proportion (nine per cent) of 11 to 15-year-olds using the devices, figures show.
“It is deeply worrying that a quarter of 11 to 15-year-olds used a vape last year,” health minister Andrew Gwynne said.
“We know disposables are the product of choice for the majority of kids vaping today. Banning them will keep them out of the hands of vulnerable young people.”
A disposable vape sells for £3-£10 depending on the brand, with the total e-cigarette industry worth an estimated £2.8billion in Britain.
There has been a 50 per cent rise in the last year in Britain in the proportion of children trying vaping, according to research by charity Action on Smoking and Health (Ash).
The study found a rise in experimental vaping among 11 to 17-year-olds, from 7.7 per cent in 2022 to 11.6 per cent in 2023.
Children were asked if they had ever tried vaping once or twice, with the proportion roughly doubling in nine years, from 5.6 per cent in 2014 to 11.6 per cent.
The government claimed the ban would also help curb the negative environmental impact caused by disposable e-cigarette waste.
Environment minister Mary Creagh added: “Single-use vapes waste precious resources and blight our towns, parks and cities.
“That is why we will be banning single-use vapes as we take action to end our throwaway culture.”
Last year, environmental campaign group Material Focus found that more than seven million single-use vapes are bought every week in the UK – double the amount bought in 2022.
It revealed 73 per cent of UK vapers said they throw away single-use vapes, with 33 per cent of 16 to 18-year-old vapers admitting to disposing of their vapes in a bin at their place of education or work.
Five million vapes disposed of per week is equivalent to eight per second, Material Focus said, a sharp rise from the 1.3 million thrown away in 2022.
The move comes amid a raft of measures planned by Sir Keir Starmer’s government to crackdown on Britain’s smoking habits.
In August, he said the government would “take decisions” on a potential outdoor smoking ban in an effort to curb preventable deaths and alleviate pressures on the NHS.
The indoor smoking ban could be extended to cover other locations including small parks, outdoor restaurants and hospitals.
“It is a huge burden on the NHS, and, of course, it is a burden on the taxpayer. So, yes, we are going to take decisions in this space,” Sir Keir Said.
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