Disposable e-cigarettes to be banned in England
The UK government could announce a ban on the sale of disposable e-cigarettes as early as next week.
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Disposable e-cigarettes from brands including HDQ and Elf Bar, now known as EB designs, are displayed for sale at Vapes N Smokes in Pinecrest, Florda, United States, June 26, 2023. (AP)
The UK government is planning to ban the sale of disposable e-cigarettes, also known as vapes, to young people in an effort to prevent them from becoming addicted, The Telegraph newspaper reported on Tuesday.
The report says that the UK government could announce a ban on the sale of disposable e-cigarettes as early as next week. The ban would apply to England only, and the other UK countries — Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland — would be free to make their own decisions about whether to implement a similar ban.
On May 25, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak criticized the use of bright colors in the design of vaping devices, which he said are attractive to children. At present, 11.6% of children aged 11 to 17 in the UK have tried vaping, according to The Telegraph.
Vaping is a "very worrying trend".
— Sky News (@SkyNews) September 12, 2023
Technology Sec @michelledonelan says the govt will be "making further announcements next week", as ministers are set to ban single-use vapes in the UK. https://t.co/PAiZ4D1jU3
📺 Sky 501, Virgin 602, Freeview 233 and YouTube pic.twitter.com/7F0M7L5tpB
A week ago, a recycling campaign group, Material Focus, said that the number of disposable vapes being thrown away in the UK each week has quadrupled since 2022.
The not-for-profit's research found that eight disposable vapes are being discarded every second, containing enough lithium to create 5,000 electric car batteries a year.
The prohibition of disposable electronic cigarettes has gained popularity among Commonwealth nations and certain other countries. Australia, for instance, implemented a ban on these devices on May 15, limiting their availability to pharmacies with a doctor's prescription. New Zealand also joined this trend by announcing a ban on disposable vapes on June 6, which will be enforced starting from August.
In a similar vein, French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne unveiled intentions to prohibit single-use electronic cigarettes on September 3 as part of efforts to decrease the prevalence of smoking.
Read more: Smoking hits new low in America
On June 24, it was reported that Trading Standards collected millions of potentially hazardous and illegal vapes in the last three years, with experts warning that this is just the "tip of the iceberg" and a "tsunami" of products is flooding into the UK.
Freedom of information requests to 125 local authorities unmasked that more than two and a half million illicit e-cigarettes have been amassed since the beginning of 2020.
Statistics reveal that 1,352,063 illegal vapes were taken by Hillingdon borough council's trade standards in west London alone. It is worth noting that Heathrow Airport, where thousands of illegal vapes are coming, is located in the council district.
The e-cigarettes may have larger nicotine liquid tanks, greater nicotine concentration levels, or substances that are prohibited by UK law. They also may not comply with UK regulatory requirements. According to earlier research, illegal vapes had significant concentrations of lead, nickel, and chromium.
