As of June 1, it is going to be unlawful to purchase the colorful e-cigarettes over-the-counter. After this date, solely reusable units (which have a chargeable battery, a replaceable coil and are refillable), might be authorized. Round 30 per cent of vapers want to make use of a disposable vape, in keeping with the BBC.
Why is the UK banning disposable vapes?
The UK is disposable banning vapes for quite a few causes, together with their environmental affect. Disposable vapes are sometimes discarded as litter, spoiling communities and introducing dangerous chemical compounds into the ecosystem.
In addition to this, vapes have been slammed as being too appealing to youngsters because of the range of exciting flavours and attractive branding on offer. In 2022, 15.5 per cent of Britons aged between 16-24 identified as daily or occasional e-cigarette users, according to ONS.
However, retailers have advised that the ban seems to have caused vapers to stockpile the single-use products. Dan Marchant, owner of online retailer, Vape Club, and co-founder of the UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA), says he’s witnessed sales of the most popular flavours of vapes double in recent weeks as some customers stock up in anticipation of the ban.
Approximately 60,000 vape retailers across the country are believed to be for workarounds in order to comply with new regulations, LBC reports.
When are disposable vapes being banned?
It will be illegal for businesses to sell or supply, offer to sell or supply, or have in their possession for sale or supply all single-use vapes from June 1.
Disposable vapes – a product that is neither designed nor intended to be reused – will no longer be sold online or in-person by retailers, wholesalers, online stores, petrol stations, or supermarkets.
Reusable vapes will still be available for sale and supply. For a vape to be considered reusable, it must be both rechargeable and refillable. This means it must have a battery you can recharge and be able to be refilled with vape liquid either via a pre-filled pod or through filling up the cartridge.
However, a Censuswide poll, commissioned by Vape Club, found that 11 per cent of vapers intended to stockpile vapes after the ban, including purchasing the products abroad and bringing them back to the UK.
Concerningly, 18 per cent of the 2,000 vapers surveyed said that they would resume smoking if they couldn’t get hold of disposable vapes.
What should you do with your disposable vapes?
If you have single use vapes in your possession from June 1, you will not be allowed to sell them.
In the case of a business, you should arrange for these vapes to be recycled. Until then, they should be labelled as unsellable and removed from the shop floor.
The days of blue raspberry and pink lemonade clouds of vapour will soon be a thing of the past and the era of children running around chuffing banana cream fandango will one day feel like a very weird fever dream. It is time to bid your farewells to the disposable vape.
What will happen if you don’t follow the new law?
People who break the law in England risk a £200 fine and up to two years in prison for repeat crimes.
Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland have different fines in place.
