From 1 June 2025, it will be illegal for businesses in the United Kingdom to sell or supply all single-use or "disposable" vapes. Only reusable vapes are allowed for sale.
The restrictions of the ban are consistent across all 4 nations - England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
This includes both online and in-store sales, and the ban will apply to all vapes whether or not they contain nicotine.
Any businesses which fail to comply with the ban could face a stop notice or a fine of £200 in the first instance, with all products seized by Trading Standards. If any further infractions occur, they could be hit with an unlimited fine or be prosecuted.
UK government has urged businesses to take action for ensuring all remaining stocks of single-use vapes are sold, and only buying vapes that follow the new regulations.
An analysis by Material Focus has revealed that approximately 8.2 million vapes are discarded or littered every week in the UK, equivalent to 13 every second. However, recycling single-use vapes is a challenging task, as waste industry workers must dismantle them by hand, a process that is both slow and costly. Additionally, the contents of these vapes pose a fire risk to recycling facilities and can leak harmful chemicals into the environment.
"This isn’t just an environmental crisis – it’s a public health one too. Single-use vapes, often sweet in flavour, are the product of choice for many young people, drawing a new generation into nicotine addiction. The ban will complement the world-leading Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which will tackle youth vaping and safeguard our children’s health. I urge retailers to plan accordingly, as we work together to create a cleaner, greener, and healthier Britain for future generations," - said UK Minister for Public Health and Prevention, Ashley Dalton.
While vaping is less harmful than smoking and can be a useful tool to help adult smokers quit, youth vaping has skyrocketed in recent years, with a quarter of 11 to 15 year olds having tried it.
The long-term impact of vaping on the lungs isn’t yet known, so research into its effect on young people, is really important.
"It is already known that vaping can cause inflammation in the airways, and people with asthma have told us that vapes can trigger their condition. Vaping could put developing lungs at risk, while exposure to nicotine - also contained in vapes - can damage developing brains. This is why young people should be stopped from taking up vaping in the first place. The upcoming legislation, restricting vape flavours and packaging that appeal directly to young people, is an important step in tackling youth vaping along with a ban on cheap disposable vapes," - said Sarah Sleet, Chief Executive at Asthma + Lung UK.
Groundbreaking research will investigate the long-term health effects of vaping on children, supporting major plans to tackle youth vaping and create a smoke-free generation.
The £62 million research project into adolescent health, funded by UK Research and Innovation, will track 100,000 young people aged 8 to 18 years over a decade, collecting data on behaviour, biology and health records to understand what affects young people’s health and wellbeing, including the impact of vaping.
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