Disposable Vape Ban Update: Everything We Know So Far
On 29 January 2024, then Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced a disposable vape ban in efforts to tackle youth vaping and protect children's health. The ban will come into effect on 1 June 2025.
The current UK government has taken further steps to regulate the vape industry with a Tobacco and Vapes Bill which comes into effect on the same day.
What Does the Disposable Vape Ban Entail?
A ban on the sale and supply of disposable vapes will be implemented as of 1 June 2025 by DEFRA under environmental legislation.
What Is the Tobacco and Vapes Bill?
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill's primary focus is to create the first smoke-free generation. The Bill intends to stop children turning 15 this year or younger can never legally be sold tobacco.
A new law has already been proposed which would make it illegal to sell tobacco products to anyone born after 1st January 2009, delivering on the pledge to create a smoke-free generation.
As part of the bill, the government plans to regulate the flavours, packaging, and display of vapes to ensure they do not appeal to children. This may remove the availability of sweet, fruity flavours that entice young people. Plain packaging could also be introduced to make vape displays less appealing to non-smokers.
The Bill is a significant public health intervention aimed at breaking the cycle of addiction and progressing towards a smoke-free UK.
What Is the Argument to Ban Disposable Vapes?
The number of children using vapes has tripled in the last three years. Research has shown that e-cigarettes are becoming increasingly popular among teenagers who are not former or current smokers. A recent study by University College London found that between January 2021 and January 2022, the proportion of 18 year old vapers using disposable e-cigarettes increased from 1% to 57%.
Minister for Public Health and Prevention, 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."
By restricting the number of flavours available, controlling how shops display the vapes as well as cracking down on packaging, and banning single-use models, the government hopes for them to become less attractive to young people.
As well as the implications on children’s health, Environmental Secretary Steve Barclay has 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 5 million thrown away every week."
By imposing a blanket ban on disposable vapes, the government hopes to reduce vaping's environmental impact.
What Is OK Vape's Stance On This?
Besides being up to 95% safer than smoking, there is evidence that vaping has contributed to 50,000 to 70,000 fewer smokers per year. For this reason, OK Vape advocates for vaping as an effective tool to stop smoking. We are in agreement with the UK Vaping Industry Association:
"The answer to youth vaping doesn’t lie in counterproductive bans and restrictions, but rather in effective and proactive enforcement – which is woefully lacking – of the law which states that it is illegal for vapes to be sold to minors."
When Will The Disposable Vape Ban Begin?
The ban will take effect on 1 June 2025 with a 6-month buffer period allowing retailers to sell through their current stock and adapt to the new changes. Trading standards officers will have the ability to issue £100 fixed penalty fines for shops that sell vapes to children.
What Does This Mean For OK Vape?
Our disposable vape collection will be discontinued on or before 1 June 2025. This includes our Disposable Cigalike and the Quartz Bar.
We will, however, continue to sell refillable and rechargeable equivalents that help smokers in transitioning to a healthier, tobacco-free lifestyle.
We'll continue to impose strict age certification procedures to ensure our customers over the age of 18. We do not recommend e-cigarettes to anyone who doesn’t already smoke or vape – only as tools to stop smoking.
What Are the Best Alternatives to Disposable Vapes?
There's a variety of options vapers can turn to as alternatives to disposables. These include:
Where Does the Disposable Vape Ban Cover?
The ban is expected to be introduced across the whole of the UK including England, Scotland, and Wales.
A similar ban is already effective in Australia and New Zealand, with lots of European countries not far behind. Find out more about vaping abroad in our guides:
The Ultimate Guide to Travelling with E-Cigarettes
Taking Vapes Abroad
