Industry dismay as government announces ban on disposable vapes

The government has announced a ban on disposable vapes, aimed at tackling youth vaping, prompting criticism from the industry.

It confirmed the measure following reports last week that plans for a ban were in place.

As well as the ban on disposable vapes, the government will introduce new powers to restrict flavours which are specifically marketed at children and ensure that manufacturers produce “plainer, less visually appealing packaging”. How they will be displayed in stores will also change, with measures to move them out of sight of children.

The government also plans to bring in new fines for shops in England and Wales which sell vapes illegally to children, providing powers to Trading standards officers to issue ‘on the spot’ to tackle underage tobacco and vape sales. Vaping alternatives – such as nicotine pouches – will also be outlawed for children.

This comes following research which found that 9% of 11 to 15-year-olds are now using vapes. The government had launched a consultation on the issue which closed in early December 2023.

The Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced the measures which are expected to come into effect later this year or early 2025.

“As any parent or teacher knows, one of the most worrying trends at the moment is the rise in vaping among children, and so we must act before it becomes endemic The long-term impacts of vaping are unknown and the nicotine within them can be highly addictive, so while vaping can be a useful tool to help smokers quit, marketing vapes to children is not acceptable.  

“As Prime Minister I have an obligation to do what I think is the right thing for our country in the long term. That is why I am taking bold action to ban disposable vapes – which have driven the rise in youth vaping – and bring forward new powers to restrict vape flavours, introduce plain packaging and change how vapes are displayed in shops.”

As well as attempting to prevent youth access to vapes, the government’s measures are designed to reduce the number of single-use vapes thrown away. According to Material Focus, five million are thrown away every week.

Commenting on the proposed measures, Environment Secretary Steve Barclay said: “Not only are disposable vapes often targeted, unacceptably, at children – they also represent a huge and growing stream of hard-to-recycle waste, with nearly five million thrown away every week. This historic announcement will be a powerful tool in support of our efforts to crack down on waste and boost recycling, as well as helping to create the first smokefree generation.”

Illicit trade

Director general of the UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) John Dunne said a ban is not the answer and accused the government of “sacrificing vapes for votes” ahead of a General Election.

“The UKVIA is dismayed at the government’s decision to ban disposable vapes, which have been instrumental in bringing the UK’s smoking rates down to a record low and have played a key role in helping millions of adults quit and stay off cigarettes,” he said. “While action to prevent youth access to vaping is critical, this move smacks more of a desperate attempt by the government to sacrifice vapers for votes ahead of the upcoming General Election. If the government thinks banning disposables will help protect young people, they are completely misguided. This counterproductive legislation will sooner put children at greater risk by turbo-charging the black market and, in turn, making it easier for them to access illicit and non-compliant vapes.”

Dunne warned that this move would only push people towards the illicit trade. “It also hands the regulated vaping market to criminals on a silver platter. It is estimated that in Australia, where vapes are now only available on difficult to obtain prescriptions, as many as 92% of vapers are buying their products through illegal channels and as many as 100 million illicit products are smuggled into the country every year. The leading public health charity Action on Smoking and Health UK has previously warned that children already ‘find it easy’ to access illegal vapes as those selling them have ‘no qualms’ selling to minors.”

The Independent British Vape Trade Association (IBVTA) warned that the ban would encourage people to return to smoking or to seek out illicit products.

Chair of the IBVTA, Marcus Saxton said: “Children and those who have not smoked should not be using vapes and the industry is making significant efforts and progress to protect children including launching an industry code of conduct and changes to product descriptors and flavours. However, introducing bans on single-use vapes and flavours, will have hugely damaging consequences including making it harder for smokers to quit and will push those that have quit, back into smoking. Big tobacco will be rubbing its hands with glee in anticipation of possible vape bans and increasing their sales.

“Further, with an estimated third of the UK vape market comprising illicit products, a ban will simply benefit those pushing illegal and unregulated products as people seek out single-use and flavoured vapes from illicit sources,” added Saxton. “Research by Cancer Research UK and UCL published in recent days shows the critical role that single use vapes are playing in helping the 6.4 million smokers in the UK to quit and the risks of introducing bans. The vape industry stands ready to work with government to implement a proportionate regulatory regime, but introducing knee-jerk and unevidenced bans is not the solution. It’s simple – bans do not work.”