Disposable vapes ban confirmed as considerations develop younger individuals are being ‘hooked on nicotine’

Disposable vapes will be banned in shops by next summer in a bid to stop kids taking up the habit and protect the environment.

Ministers have warned businesses to “sell any remaining stock they hold and prepare for the ban coming into force”. New legislation will ban the sale of single-use vapes from June 1 next year.

It comes amid growing alarm over the number of young people vaping, with sales rocketing to record levels. Environment minister Mary Creagh said single-use vapes were “extremely wasteful and blight our towns and cities”. She continued: “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.”

Ministers have now laid new legislation before Parliament to introduce the ban in a bid to stop youngsters vaping amid concern about their long-term impact. 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.”

Mr Gwynne added: “The government will also introduce the Tobacco and Vapes Bill – the biggest public health intervention in a generation – which will protect young people from becoming hooked on nicotine and pave the way for a smoke-free UK.”

Earlier this month, the Daily Mirror told how a study found that one million people who never regularly smoked now vape – and most do so daily. Government figures show that vape use in England grew by more than 400% between 2012 and 2023, with 9.1% of the British public now buying and using these products.

The move is also designed to limit the environmental damage caused by single-use vapes being thrown away – with 40 tonnes of lithium from disposable batteries being dumped in 2022.

Almost five million single-use vapes were either littered or thrown away in the UK each week – the equivalent of eight being dumped per second, according to Government figures.