Ministers are on the verge of prohibiting single-use vapes in the UK, responding to calls from councils, prominent pediatricians, and environmental advocates who argue that selling disposable vaping devices should be made illegal due to health and environmental reasons.
“UK Set to Ban Single-Use Vapes Over Child Addiction and Environmental Concerns”
The decision could be announced as early as next week, following the government’s determination that these products are predominantly targeting children, leading to addiction. This development is expected to be unveiled in a forthcoming consultation issued by the Department of Health and Social Care, although the exact timing might change, as reported by the Daily Telegraph.
Last week, The Guardian disclosed that the UK discards five million single-use vapes every week, marking a fourfold increase compared to 2022. Research conducted by the nonprofit organization Material Focus revealed that this equates to eight vapes discarded every second, and the lithium contained in these devices could generate enough material to manufacture 5,000 electric car batteries annually.
Child respiratory specialists criticized the government last year for ignoring warnings about the risks of selling e-cigarettes in child-friendly packaging featuring names of popular sweets, some of which contain 2% nicotine, the highest permissible concentration in the UK. Professor Andrew Bush, a consultant pediatric chest physician, expressed concerns about a potential public health crisis with children becoming addicted to nicotine.
Scott Butler, Executive Director at Material Focus, emphasized that the issue of single-use vapes has worsened significantly over the past year, labeling them as one of the most environmentally wasteful, harmful, and perilous consumer products ever created.
In July, Members of Parliament called on the government to introduce regulations on the packaging and promotion of disposable vapes to address the alarming trend of children using these addictive devices.
The UK currently lags behind other countries in addressing this problem. Australia has banned vaping without a prescription, Germany has prohibited flavored e-cigarettes, New Zealand has outlawed most disposable vapes and imposed restrictions on marketing to children, while France recently announced its intentions to ban all disposable e-cigarettes.
“UK Set to Ban Single-Use Vapes Over Child Addiction and Environmental Concerns”
However, the UK government has refrained from implementing a blanket ban on vaping without a prescription, as it views vaping as a safer alternative for adult smokers.
Professor Sir Chris Whitty, England’s chief medical officer, has emphasized that vaping is a safer option for smokers but is not suitable for nonsmokers, and marketing to children is wholly unacceptable.
A spokesperson from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) stated that they are concerned about the surge in youth vaping and the environmental consequences of single-use vapes. The DHSC launched a call for evidence to identify opportunities for reducing children’s access to vaping products and addressing environmental concerns, with their response forthcoming.
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