Why does the UK want to ban disposable vapes and when will it happen?

As part of a clampdown on under-18s using e-cigarettes, the UK government is planning to outlaw disposable vapes and a ban could come into force early next year

By Clare Wilson

29 January 2024

Single-use vapes are set to be banned in the UK

Peter Dazeley/Getty

A ban on disposable vapes is expected to come in across the UK as part of a broader clampdown on underage use of e-cigarettes. Rechargeable vaping systems will have to be sold in plainer packaging, and there will also be shop display restrictions as well as higher fines for shops that break the law by selling to under-18s.

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When will disposable vapes be banned?

The legislation will be debated before the next general election, which is likely to be this year, the health secretary Victoria Atkins told the BBC. The ban could then take effect in early 2025.

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Why are disposable vapes being banned?

Vaping is thought to be much less harmful than smoking cigarettes, and so smokers are generally advised to switch to vaping if that is the only way they can stop smoking. But people are also advised not to take up vaping if they don’t already smoke, as vapes still contain nicotine, which is addictive, as well as low levels of other potentially harmful chemicals.

As vaping has taken off among adults, so has illicit use by under-18s, especially of disposable vapes, which are initially cheaper than the alternative of using a rechargeable vaping system. In the UK, 9 per cent of 11-to-15-year-olds are now using vapes. Manufacturers are accused of developing versions that appeal to children, with brightly coloured packaging and enticing flavours, including varieties named after fruits or sweet brands. The new legislation would also restrict flavours and mandate plain packaging for rechargeable vape systems.

What about the litter?

Single-use vapes have also come under fire because they are so often discarded as litter rather than being properly disposed of. They are difficult to recycle because they are part plastic, part copper and contain lithium batteries. In the UK, for instance, disposable vape litter has doubled in the past two years, according to surveys by the anti-littering charity Keep Britain Tidy.