Single-use vape ban begins across UK on Sunday

A UK-wide ban on single-use vapes comes into force on Sunday 1 June, aimed at reducing environmental harm and curbing rising rates of vaping among young people.

The Environmental Protection (Single Use Vapes) (Wales) Regulations 2024 form part of the legislation, targeting both health and environmental issues.

According to Keep Wales Tidy, 360,000 disposable vapes are littered across Wales annually, with a further 120,000 flushed down toilets.

Public Health Wales has welcomed the new law, citing growing concern about the popularity of disposable vapes among children and young people.

Research shows nearly one in six Year 11 pupils in Wales vape regularly, with almost half having tried vaping. Most of these young people have never smoked before.

Mary-Ann McKibben, Consultant in Public Health at Public Health Wales, said: “The evidence is clear: children and young people should not vape. While vaping is safer than smoking for adults, it is not risk–free and we do not yet have a comprehensive understanding of the long-term health effects.

“The ban on disposable vapes is an important step in taking urgent action to prevent a new generation of nicotine-addicted young people. We must ensure we learn from our experience with tobacco and work as hard as possible to prevent the use and uptake of vapes by children and young people.”

The Welsh Government has stated that the ban aligns with its commitment to address the climate and nature emergency.

Deputy First Minister Huw Irranca-Davies said: “Single-use vapes create litter and plastic pollution; this ban will help stop the serious harm these products cause to our wildlife and environment.

“They should be recycled at a vape shop, or taken to a local authority recycling centre, to be disposed of safely. Vapes should never go in the bin as they are susceptible to catching fire.”

Keep Wales Tidy Chief Executive, Owen Derbyshire, said: “We warmly welcome Welsh Government’s decision to ban single use vapes – something we’ve been calling for in recent years.

Nearly half of all clean-ups undertaken by our volunteers last year found these harmful products. They’re a blight on our communities, a danger to wildlife, and near impossible to recycle.”

Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing, Sarah Murphy, added: “In addition to the environmental impacts, we know single-use vapes are being used by children and young people and are a factor in the significant increases in youth vaping that we have seen in recent years.

“The single-use vape ban being introduced will help us to protect children and young people from vape products so that they never start vaping and avoid the harms caused by nicotine addiction.”

Retailers across Wales have received official guidance from the Welsh Government about the new regulations. A

round 2,000 small and medium-sized businesses have been advised on the ban and the steps they need to take, including the obligation to offer a take-back recycling service for used vapes, pods and batteries.

Public Health Wales is also launching a new feature on its Help Me Quit website, offering a free personalised digital tool to support people in quitting vaping and smoking.