From today [1st June], a vape ban has come into effect, making it illegal to sell single-use disposable vapes. The ban intends to stop “the flood of litter on the nation’s streets” and prevent “young Brits from getting hooked on nicotine”.
Circular Economy Minister Mary Creagh said: “For too long, single-use vapes have blighted our streets as litter and hooked our children on nicotine. That ends today.”
The vape ban will impact single-use disposable vapes, but reusable and rechargeable vapes will still be available for purchase.
As part of the vape ban, measures will be taken against any traders breaking the rules with a fine of £200 for the first incident, and the products will be seized. However, for those who keep reoffending, they will face hefty penalties including increasingly harsh fines or even jail time.
The vape ban was announced last year under Rishi Sunak’s Conservative government, as statistics from the public health charity Action on Smoking Health (ASH) showed that in 2024, 5.6 million adults were vaping in the UK. This included 7% of 11- to 17-year-olds in the UK who were also using vapes.
Previous governments had supported vaping as an anti-smoking measure, offering tobacco smokers a less harmful alternative, but in recent years concerns have grown over the number of young people vaping when they otherwise would not have smoked.
Ahead of the vape ban, new data from ASH shows the number of vapers has fallen from last year, from 30% to 24% in 2025. The percentage of vapers aged 18–24 in particular decreased dramatically in 2025 from 52% to 40%.
Caroline Cerny, Deputy Chief Executive, Action on Smoking and Health, said: “It’s promising to see that many people switched away from disposable vapes to reusable products well ahead of the ban.”
She continued saying that this vape ban is aimed particularly at young people who are more likely to use these disposable products because of how attractive and affordable they are. Young people have also been especially targeted by vape companies in their marketing in recent years.
Disposable vapes are often colourful, with sweet flavourings and are presented as harmless compared to tobacco, despite this not being true with the NHS warning that vaping could lead to an addiction to nicotine and negatively impact brain development in young people, particularly effecting the part of the brain that controls emotional regulation and attention spans.
Due to their non-refillable nature, people typically discard these single-use vapes as general waste without recycling them. This contributes to the “flood of litter blighting the country”, as the government described while passing the bill. Even if recycled, the process is slow and costly, as waste industry workers must disassemble them by hand. The batteries themselves represent a fire hazard, and the chemicals inside are harmful for the environment.
“This new law is a step towards reducing vaping among children while ensuring products are available to support people to quit smoking. It will be up to manufacturers and retailers to ensure customers are informed and able to reuse and recycle their products, securing a real change in consumer behaviour and reducing environmental waste,” Cerny explained.
The government has reported that they have been working closely with retailers to ensure a smooth transition once the legislation has been passed. In its guidance for businesses preparing for the vape ban, the government explains what products and devices can’t be sold and how to get rid of current stock safely.
Association of Convenience Stores chief executive James Lowman said: “Convenience retailers have been preparing for the disposables ban for several months, adapting their ranges and training colleagues on the products that they can sell.
“We have been working with Trading Standards officers across the country to ensure they know what to look for once the ban comes into force and support robust enforcement activity to take illegal vapes off the streets.”
However, according to a BBC report, it is doubtful whether the vape ban will undermine the appeal of vaping. Hazel Cheeseman, chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health (Ash), told the BBC that “new reusable vapes are very similar to single-use vapes, meaning it is “unlikely will have that much impact.”
Justin Greenaway, Commercial Manager at SWEEEP Kuusakoski, said: “We hope this ban will succeed in reducing the amount of vapes being discarded. Every vape has the potential to start a fire if incorrectly disposed of. Logically vape unit waste will reduce as single-use stops and multi-use must start, but it does rely on consumers changing from a disposable mindset to refilling.”
Featured image via Vaping369 / Flickr.
Author: Ana Garcia Sancho
