Please respond to the government consultation to Ban Single Use Vapes
The Department of Health and Social Care is running a consultation to seek views on how to reduce the appeal, affordability and availability of vapes – including potential restrictions on the sale and supply of single use vapes (also referenced as disposable vapes) and it closes at 11.59PM on 6th December.
We want as many responses in as possible to support the call for these unsustainable, environmentally damaging and health impacting single use items that are marketed at our children and young people fully banned.
The Local Government Association and the North London Waste Authority (NLWA) are just two of the growing number of organisations that are keen to see single-use vapes banned entirely, for both environmental and health reasons. The NLWA have created template responses for those wishing to respond to the consultation. The template responses set out why a total outright ban on unnecessary and unsustainable single-use vapes is the simplest solution when there are reusable and refillable options available. Due to their complex material composition, single-use vapes will always be logistically difficult, labour-intensive and expensive to recycle.
Single use plastic is wreaking havoc on the environment and while we welcome existing efforts to tackle this problem, single-use vapes are even more toxic than the single-use cutlery, balloon sticks and plates which are already banned. Single-use vapes also contain precious metals which are critical for our green transition but currently being depleted at an unsustainable rate, and are also a major fire risk due to the lithium battery inside. It is also unfair that the burden of disposal falls on taxpayers, especially when there are reusable alternatives readily available.
There has been a particularly worrying rise in the number of children using vapes, with companies clearly marketing these products at children using colours, flavours and cheap disposable options. The current marketing tactics, easy access to disposable vapes and risk of nicotine addiction are factors driving the increasing use of vapes by young people.
An NHS Digital report published in September 2022 found that more than one in five (22 per cent) of 11-15 year olds had reported to have used vapes in 2021 in England. Amongst 11–15-year-olds in the UK, 4 per cent currently use vapes, compared to 14.1 per cent of 16–17-year-olds and 20.2 per cent of 18-year-olds in 2022. This has doubled across all age groups since 2021, which was reported to be 2.2 per cent, 5.9 per cent and 9.6 per cent respectively.
A 2023 survey from ASH found that the proportion of 11–17-year-olds in the UK who stated they were current users more than doubled from 3.3 per cent in 2021 to 7.6 per cent in 2023, while those trying vaping once or twice increased by 50 per cent compared to 2022.
A Scottish study from 2022 found that children aged 11–16 years described disposable e-cigarettes as ‘cool’, ‘fashionable’ and enticing, and viewed these products as a modern lifestyle ‘accessory’, whereas reusable vapes were considered a more of an ‘adult’ product.
Many illegal disposable vapes seized by Trading Standards teams are prohibited because they break regulations on labelling and ingredients. By law, a vape can only hold 2ml of liquid – approximately 600 puffs. Some seized products have enough liquid for over 12,000 puffs, others contain illegally high levels of nicotine.
Here is some more information on why we should Ban Single Use Vapes:
The Journey of A Disposable Vape https://youtu.be/Ky5v79wZfXM?si=y_2rduL3XnC-Qly-
Local Government Association Disposable Vapes FAQs local.gov.uk/disposable-vapes-faqs