UK prohibits disposable e-cigarettes to deter use by minors and minimize environmental waste

In London, a new regulation was put in place to prohibit the sale of disposable vapes in the entire United Kingdom starting on Sunday. The primary goal of this move by the British government is to curb the usage of these products by minors, minimize litter, and prevent the release of harmful chemicals into the environment.

Under this ban, it is now against the law for any retailer, whether operating online or in physical stores, to offer disposable vapes for sale, regardless of whether they contain nicotine. However, reusable vapes can still be legally sold.

This decision to enforce the ban was prompted by the widespread use of disposable vapes among school students and the escalating volume of discarded vapes contributing to litter issues. An estimated 5 million disposable vapes are discarded improperly each week in the United Kingdom, rather than being properly recycled.

A number of countries are seeking to regulate the vape market, which has grown exponentially over the past decade or so. Australia outlawed the sale of vapes outside pharmacies last year in some of the world’s toughest restrictions on electronic cigarettes, while Belgium became the first European Country to ban the use of disposable vapes at the start of this year. California has been at the forefront of bringing in new regulations in the U.S.

The U.K.’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said usage among young people remained too high, and the ban would “put an end to their alarming rise in school playgrounds and the avalanche of rubbish flooding the nation’s streets.”

Also known as single-use vapes, disposable vapes are non-refillable and unable to be recharged, and are typically thrown away with general waste or just thrown on the street. Even when they are recycled, they need to be taken apart by hand, while their batteries are a fire risk to recycling facilities and can leak harmful chemicals into the environment and potentially harming wildlife.

Businesses were given six months to prepare for the change by selling any existing stock. Rogue traders who continue to sell them risk a fine of 200 ($260) in the first instance, followed by an unlimited fine or jail time for repeat offending.

The U.K. Vaping Industry Association said its members had moved quickly to comply with the June 1 deadline, but warned of “serious unintended consequences” emanating from too much regulation.

“We are concerned that this ban will encourage former smokers who have already transitioned from cigarettes, which kill 220 people every day in the U.K, to return to combustible tobacco or opt for unregulated vapes,” said its director general, John Dunne.

Separately, the British government is legislating to potentially restrict the packaging, marketing and flavors of e-cigarettes.