The UK government has announced that by next summer, sales of the highly popular trend of disposable vapes in England will come to an end.
From June 1 2025, multi-flavoured vapes will not be on sale under new legislation established in Parliament on Wednesday. According to official figures by Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), vape usage in England had risen by more than 400% between 2012 and 2023, representing 9.1% of the British population. This is not to mention the susceptibility of young people to this trend. Health Minister Andrew Gwynne said: “It’s deeply worrying that a quarter of 11-15-year-olds used a vape last year and we know disposables are the product of choice for the majority of kids vaping today.” She added: “Banning disposable vapes will not only protect the environment, but importantly reduce the appeal of vapes to children and keep them out of the hands of vulnerable young people.”
Colourful packaging makes vapes attractive to young people
It is currently illegal to sell vapes to young people under the age of 18, yet restrictions until now have been too lenient. Disposable vapes are desirable for young people due to their highly colourful packaging, which has contributed significantly to sales among younger age groups. The push to control sales of disposable vapes has also come from medical experts. The British Medical Association (BMA), a national network of British doctors has claimed that the fun colours and flavours lure children into harmful addictions and there is no way to predict the long term consequences of this for the future.
Considering that last year, almost five million single-use vapes were littered or thrown away – four times more than the previous year – the move reflects the government’s focus on the environment. Vapes are difficult to recycle and their batteries contain harmful elements including battery acid, lithium and mercury, which leaks into the environment. Circular Economy Minister Mary Creagh said single-use vapes were “extremely wasteful and blight our towns and cities.” Ms Creagh added: “That is why we are banning single use vapes as we end this nation’s throwaway culture. This is the first step on the road to a circular economy, where we use resources for longer, reduce waste, accelerate the path to net-zero and create thousands of jobs across the country.”
Vape prohibition will be the most significant intervention since 2009
To successfully pass the legislation, Defra confirmed that the UK Government and delegated governments had worked collaboratively on the ban. It had been announced earlier in the year in January by Rishi Sunak, yet was unfortunately dismissed as the ban was left unimplemented before the general election in July. In addition to the bill on vape sales, the UK Government will also be implementing a Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which will be the most significant public health intervention in a generation. It aims to protect young people from nicotine addiction and move towards a smoke-free UK. Restrictions will be imposed on the sale of vapes to children before Christmas. In the last parliament, there were discussions about raising the age limit for purchasing tobacco for anyone born after January 1 2009 yet Health Secretary, Wes Streeting guaranteed to present an even more stringent bill on smoking laws. Libby Peake, Head of Resources at Green Alliance, said: “Disposable vapes are the last thing our children and the planet need, and for too long the market for them has been allowed to grow unchecked.”
The legislation has sparked interest in other countries of the UK. Similar bans are expected to be seen in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Welsh government has confirmed a ban will come into force on June 1 2025. Huw Irranca-Davies, deputy first minister and cabinet secretary for climate change and rural affairs, said: “Action to tackle the environmental and social impacts of single-use vapes is a key priority for the Welsh government and we continue to work with the other UK nations to address these challenges.”
With regards to businesses involved in the production, distribution and sale of vapes, they will be obliged to sell existing stock before the deadline – before the official ban is enforced.
The new ban on disposable vapes marks a significant step toward both environmental sustainability and public health, particularly for protecting under-18s from nicotine addiction. If successful, it could serve as a blueprint for discouraging smoking across all age groups while raising awareness about its dangers. Ultimately, this initiative could help the UK transition toward a greener society and a smoke-free future.
