Up to date: twenty fourth Oct 2024,
Vapers are more and more involved a few UK vape ban, however there’s additionally confusion and uncertainty about what might be banned.
There are three key factors to know:
- Disposable vapes might be banned from June 2025. There isn’t any plan to ban reusable vapes – but.
- You may nonetheless use options to disposable vapes that are extra economical and create much less waste.
- Plans to ban or regulate e-liquid flavours have been shelved – for now.
On this put up we’ll clarify which bans are particular and that are being thought-about, one of the best options to banned merchandise, the motivation for the bans and potential penalties.
Contents
What vapes are being banned and when?
The federal government is banning the usage of single-use gadgets – i.e. vapes designed for use as soon as after which thrown away (also called disposables).
This consists of single-use ‘massive puff gadgets’, that are disposable gadgets containing a number of 2ml pods.
The ban was initially scheduled to come back into place in April 2025. Nevertheless, the date has now modified to the first June, after which it will likely be unlawful to promote disposable vapes. (It at the moment seems there might be no sell-through interval after the first June.)
Will prefilled pod vapes be banned?
One concern is that rechargeable prefilled pod programs (also called closed pod programs) may additionally be banned. Certainly, it’s alarming that some anti-vape activists are calling prefilled pod programs a loophole.
Prefilled pod gadgets are usually not new. In actual fact, cigalikes, that are related in operate, have been the primary type of vape gadget for use, whereas prefilled pod gadgets reminiscent of Juul have been immensely widespread till just some years in the past.
Whereas prefilled pod programs are usually not ultimate, because the pods are solely used as soon as, the batteries may be reused many instances earlier than needing to get replaced. What’s extra, they’ll make a perfect first alternative for brand spanking new vapers or these trying to swap from disposable to reusable gadgets.
Nevertheless, underneath present laws, prefilled pod gadgets (which embody rechargable Large Puff gadgets) won’t be included in a ban.
Will there be a vape flavours ban?
Submit the 2024 Common Election, it’s now unclear if and when there might be a vape flavour ban.
Previous to the 2024 election, the federal government was pushing by the Tobacco and Vapes invoice. This invoice would have allowed the Secretaries of State for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Eire to control and/or ban non-tobacco e-liquid flavours.
Nevertheless, the invoice has now been shelved, as parliament didn’t have time to move it earlier than the election was referred to as.
What’s going to occur to vape outlets?
The Tobacco and Vapes invoice included the ability to control vape packaging and to ban the show of vapes, together with empty packing containers, on store cabinets. Mixed with a possible flavour ban, this is able to vastly cut back the attraction of vape outlets, and will doubtlessly result in tons of shutting down.
Within the session that led as much as the Tobacco and Vapes invoice, there was an choice to make an exception for devoted vape outlets. Nevertheless, the federal government has admitted it didn’t learn session responses, as a substitute utilizing AI to analyse them, and the choice was not included within the Tobacco and Vapes Invoice.
Once more, this was shelved as a result of 2024 basic election. If there’s one other session, it will likely be key for vapers to take part.
What options to banned vapes can you utilize?
When you could also be tempted to make use of unlawful vapes, these gadgets haven’t been by the identical strict testing course of as authorized gadgets. Certainly, random testing on unlawful gadgets has discovered that they include dangerous components not present in authorized gadgets.
As a substitute, it’s price reusable and rechargeable vapes. These embody:
Prefilled pod programs
Prefilled (closed) pod kits are the only and most handy options to disposable vapes, and supply an easy transition from disposable gadgets. In actual fact, in my native pub the place I can discuss on to vapers about the advantages of reusable gadgets over disposables, nearly everybody now makes use of a prefilled gadget.
See our collection of prefilled pod programs right here.
Refillable gadgets
Together with each open pod programs and pen gadgets, you’ll discover refillable vape gadgets are cheaper to make use of, supply a higher alternative of flavours and create much less waste than prefilled programs.
See our collection of refillable pod programs right here.
It’s price noting that whereas prefilled pods are the only system to make use of, most of our clients select to modify to refillable vape gadgets.
To be taught extra, try our high suggestions for various rechargeable vape gadgets.
Why are disposables being banned?
As we’ve typically identified on this weblog, disposables are usually not good for the surroundings. Whereas they are often recycled (not the simplest course of on this planet) many individuals simply throw them away. It’s an enormous waste of lithium-ion, and dangerous to the surroundings.
Nonetheless, and regardless of the very fact the ban is being processed underneath present environmental laws, that’s not the principle motive single-use vapes are being focused. As a substitute, the federal government has said its fundamental concern is youth vaping.
In 2023, a fifth (20.5%) of kids had experimented with vaping, a rise of 15.8% from 2022. Common use is way decrease, however nonetheless of concern, with 3.9% of kids utilizing vapes greater than as soon as per week. (Supply: Use of e-cigarettes (vapes) amongst younger folks in Nice Britain.)
Sadly, as we discover additional down this put up, after we have a look at different international locations the place bans have been imposed, we are able to see these bans haven’t resolved the difficulty of youth vaping and should have made the state of affairs worse.
What’s going to the penalties for vaping be?
There aren’t any proposed fines or penalties for vaping an unlawful product. As a substitute, penalties are aimed toward outlets that provide disposable vapes.
Will a vape ban cease youth vaping?
Outlets can’t legally promote vapes to kids. What’s extra, when researcher Caitlin Notley spoke to younger vapers, she discovered that almost all of them have been utilizing unlawful disposable vapes.
Whereas professional vape companies will adjust to the brand new rules, it appears unlikely that people and retailers already breaking the regulation will cease promoting disposables, whether or not authorized or not, and received’t cease promoting them to kids.
It’s additionally price what’s occurred in different international locations. In Australia, repeated makes an attempt to ban vape gadgets (apart from these prescribed by medical doctors) have failed to scale back youth vaping charges, because the black market has stepped in to fill the hole).
In actual fact, smoking cessation campaigner and researcher Dr Colin Mendelsohn advised me that the ban in Australia had led to quick access to vapes for youngsters, leading to larger youth vaping charges than many different developed international locations.
Knowledge offered by Dr Colin Mendelsohn.
Observe that you will notice completely different figures for youth vaping in several sources. It is because the time period can seek advice from ‘ever use’ (counting kids who might need tried a disposable vape as soon as), ‘common use’ or those that have vaped a minimum of as soon as within the final 30 days (as above).
There’s an actual hazard that some measures the federal government is introducing will decimate accountable retailers who supply authorized merchandise to grownup vapers whereas growing the variety of unlawful retailers who each promote unlawful gadgets and retail to kids.
What different implications does the vape ban have?
Attitudes and stop charges
The federal government has said that it desires vaping to stay a extra enticing various to smoking. Nevertheless, one factor it could not have thought-about is the affect of laws on attitudes in the direction of vaping.
The endless media battle on vaping has already been devastating, with Motion on Smoking and Well being reporting in 2023 that:
4 in ten people who smoke (39%) in Nice Britain now imagine vaping is as or extra dangerous in contrast with smoking up from a 3rd final 12 months… 1.8 million people who smoke (27%) have by no means tried vaping regardless that it’s a really efficient quitting help.
Trying into search knowledge can also be insightful – 7 of the highest 10 searches concerning vaping exhibit concern over security.
| Search time period | Variety of searches |
| vaping | 25000 |
| stop vaping | 8300 |
| is vaping unhealthy for you | 6700 |
| vaping 101 | 6400 |
| cease vaping | 6100 |
| evolution vaping | 5000 |
| vaping negative effects | 4100 |
| vaping lung collapse | 4100 |
| is vaping higher than smoking | 4000 |
| is vaping worse than smoking | 3200 |
Knowledge extracted utilizing Ahrefs
I’ve discovered this myself – after I ask folks why they nonetheless smoke cigarettes, they typically inform me that vaping is worse than smoking.
When you comply with the information, and the fixed stream of unfavorable tales, it’s clear why many individuals don’t imagine the federal government when it says vaping is a minimum of 95% safer than vaping. By additional introducing restrictions, the federal government may reinforce these attitudes, and dissuade folks from switching away from cigarettes.
Enhance in tobacco use
Till lately, the UK authorities had made vaping a key a part of its 2030 Smoke Free plan. Whereas in principle the federal government nonetheless helps vaping as an alternative choice to smoking, in follow its measures are more likely to increase smoking.
One instance we are able to have a look at is America, the place the FDA restricted flavoured vape pods. Whereas some vapers switched to various vaping merchandise, 14% of vapers began smoking once more – whereas solely 4% stop nicotine altogether.
Outcomes have been even worse in San Francisco, the place a ban on flavoured vape and tobacco merchandise greater than doubled smoking charges amongst youths.
In the meantime, a current survey of 1000 vapers in Montreal, Canada discovered that 36% had reverted to smoking after a flavoured vape ban.
In abstract, it appears probably that by imposing restrictions on the principle various to smoking, the federal government may find yourself jeopardising its personal 2030 smoke-free goal.
Enhance in crime
If some or all vapes are banned, some folks will stop nicotine, some will swap to another, some will revert to smoking – and a few will purchase vapes illegally.
That is compounded by the truth that Buying and selling Requirements haven’t got adequate sources to correctly police retailers, and that the £100 on-the-spot nice for promoting unlawful vapes is small change in comparison with the earnings these unlawful sellers are making.
Once more, it’s price different international locations the place bans have been imposed. Cease Smoking practitioner and activist Dr Colin Mendelsohn advised me that in Australia:
Over 90% of vapers have rejected the prescription mannequin and buy merchandise from the black market. That is managed largely by organised crime teams, primarily Center Jap crime gangs and outlaw bikie gangs. These teams are additionally chargeable for Australia’s black market in illicit tobacco which is about 25% of the full tobacco market (a direct results of the extraordinarily excessive tobacco worth).
The end result has been a violent turf battle between crime teams attempting to manage the market. We’ve seen:
- A wave of firebombings of tobacco and vape outlets, extortion and several other homicides and drive-by shootings
- Involvement of younger folks to hijack automobiles, ram outlets and torch the buildings
- No tax income paid
- Harmful and unregulated merchandise
- Quick access to vaping merchandise for younger folks from the black market.
- Youth vaping charges larger than most Western international locations and growing.
- Criminalisation of customers (vaping with out a prescription is a prison offence)
- Full destruction of the authorized retail vape business
What’s the answer? In response to one professor, it’s:
…to make quality-controlled vapes and liquids extra extensively accessible, however restricted to adults. If folks may entry vaping merchandise legally they wouldn’t purchase them on the black market and the black market would decline.
In different phrases, just about the other of what’s deliberate within the UK.
Wrapping up
A disposable vape ban is now set in stone. Whereas this isn’t good for some vapers with disabilities, disposable vapes do have points – they create extra waste and do appear to be extra enticing to kids than refillable vapes.
As we’ve seen, a ban is unlikely to resolve this problem, however a minimum of you may nonetheless discover some robust options to disposables.
What’s way more regarding is different potential measures, reminiscent of a flavour ban. With few vapers utilizing tobacco vapes now, it may result in many vapers switching again to smoking, cut back the variety of folks switching from smoking to vaping and push those that do proceed to vape to the black market.
FAQs
Will I nonetheless be capable to purchase disposable vapes on-line?
You will be unable to legally purchase disposable vapes on-line. It’s true that some unlawful vapes are at the moment accessible on-line. Nevertheless, there could also be a crackdown on these if and when the UK vape ban comes into power. As well as, when unlawful vapes have been examined, heavy metals have been present in e-liquid, probably making them way more dangerous than authorized choices which endure stringent emissions testing.
Will I nonetheless be capable to purchase disposable vapes overseas and produce them into the UK?
Presently sure. The draft rules outlaw the sale of disposable vapes, however makes no point out of offences for individuals who purchase them for private use. Nevertheless, it will likely be unlawful to produce these vapes to a different individual.
What vapes will nonetheless be authorized?
Beneath the disposable vapes ban, any gadgets which are refillable or rechargeable will stay authorized. Which means that each refillable vape gadgets like pod and pen programs and prefilled pod gadgets might be authorized. Nevertheless, if the Tobacco and Vapes Invoice is put by by a brand new authorities, all prefilled pods programs with non-tobacco/menthol flavours will even be banned.
Helpful sources
- Tobacco and Vapes Invoice 2024, March 24, UK Gov
- Coverage paper: The Environmental Safety (Single-use Vapes) (England) Laws 2024 draft SI, March 24, UK Gov
- UK to ban disposable vapes, prohibit flavours and do extra silly stuff, Jan 24, Clive Bates
- Addressing Widespread Myths On Vaping, Placing the proof In Context, Aug 23, Motion on Smoking and Well being
