British government announced that disposable vapes will be banned in England starting June 2025.The ban, confirmed by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), will make it illegal to sell single-use vaping devices. According to DEFRA, businesses have until June 1, 2025, "to sell any remaining stock they hold and prepare for the ban coming into force.""[Throwaway vapes are] extremely wasteful and blight our towns and cities," said Mary Creagh, Minister of Circular Economy. "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.".Trudeau government set to ban most vape flavours.Recent data shows the scale of the problem, with nearly five million disposable vapes being discarded or littered weekly in the UK — a fourfold increase from the previous year. Vape usage in England has surged by more than 400% between 2012 and 2023, with 9.1% of Britons now using the products.Health Minister Andrew Gwynne expressed particular concern about youth vaping rates. "It's deeply worrying that a quarter of 11- to 15-year-olds used a vape last year and we know disposables are the product of choice for the majority of kids vaping today. Banning disposable vapes will not only protect the environment, but importantly reduce the appeal of vapes to children and keep them out of the hands of vulnerable young people," said Gwynne."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.".IN-DEPTH: UN Tobacco Report sparks global debate on harm reduction policies.The legislation is part of a broader tobacco and vapes bill that includes measures to prevent anyone born after 2009 from legally purchasing tobacco products.However, industry representatives warn that the ban could have unintended consequences. John Dunne, Director General of UK Vaping Industry Association, told BBC Radio 4 that the legislation might fuel a black market."One of the major concerns, at least with the last version of the bill that I saw prior to the new government coming in, [it] didn't include, for instance, a ban on the importation of the products that they're going to ban for sale," said Dunne"So, in my view, that's just going to fuel a black market.".Study finds one million non-smokers in England now vape.The government said it worked closely with multiple administrations to coordinate implementation dates across different regions. Officials frame the ban as a first step toward a circular economy that aims to reduce waste, support environmental goals, and create new jobs.The ban follows growing evidence of environmental damage caused by disposable vapes and increasing pressure to address youth vaping rates. DEFRA officials said the measure would help protect both the environment and public health while moving toward a "smoke-free" Britain.
