Disposable vapes: Councils call for total ban by 2024

Disposable vapes origin litter problems, are a occurrence hazard and entreaty excessively powerfully to children, according to section councils successful England and Wales.

The Local Government Association has called for them to beryllium banned by 2024.

Disposable ones person surged successful popularity successful caller years, driven by Chinese brands specified arsenic Elfbar and Lost Mary.

But the UK Vaping Industry Association says disposables assistance smokers quit, and tin beryllium recycled.

The disposable assortment offers a fewer 100 puffs of nicotine-containing vapour, often with an added flavour of effect oregon sweets, successful agleam integrative packaging – which are thrown distant erstwhile empty.

They are easier to usage than accepted vapes, oregon e-cigarettes, which request to beryllium refilled with pods oregon liquid.

Disposable ones besides incorporate a tiny lithium battery, which tin summation successful somesthesia erstwhile crushed, causing fires successful bin lorries, the Local Government Association (LGA) warns.

They are hard to recycle without specializer equipment, and with 1.3 cardinal thrown distant each week, they are a litter occupation too, the LGA says.

Figures from probe steadfast NielsenIQ suggest the occupation could beryllium adjacent bigger than that. It says astir 300m e-cigarettes (disposable and otherwise) were sold successful the UK implicit the past year.

Elfbar and Lost Mary, which are made by the aforesaid Chinese firm, Shenzhen Imiracle Technology Co, made up much than fractional that number. That is an summation of much than 4 times compared to their income the twelvemonth before.

Councillor David Fothergill, president of the LGA’s Community Wellbeing Board, said: “Disposable vapes are fundamentally flawed successful their plan and inherently unsustainable products, meaning an outright prohibition volition beryllium much effectual than attempts to recycle much vapes.”

Councils are not against vaping altogether, arsenic they judge vapes are little harmful than baccy and tin assistance smokers to quit.

John Dunne, manager wide of the UK Vaping Industry Association, said that the “low price, accessibility and easiness of use” of disposable products had helped bring UK smoking rates to an "all-time low”.

“The vape manufacture is moving hard to minimise its biology impact, but this is chiefly a user acquisition contented astir however to dispose of utilized vapes, which wide are evidenced to beryllium highly recyclable," helium said.

A broad prohibition could spot “potentially deadly” black-market products flood the UK, Mr Dunne warned.

Councils are besides disquieted that disposable vapes with “fruity and bubble gum flavours, and colourful child-friendly packaging” could entreaty to under-age vapers, and called for restrictions connected their show and marketing, akin to those utilized for accepted tobacco.

The anti-smoking foundation ASH said it did not enactment a ban, arsenic it would "turbo-charge" amerciable sales, expanding the hazard that children would beryllium capable to bargain them. It favours higher taxes connected disposables and stronger controls connected import and sales, lawman main enforcement Hazel Cheeseman said.

A authorities spokesperson said it was besides acrophobic astir the usage of vaping products, peculiarly among young people. Earlier this twelvemonth it launched a consultation looking into the biology and wellness impacts of vaping, and is considering responses.

“We powerfully promote each consumers to see the situation and dispose of electrical waste, including by making usage of take-back schemes astatine participating retailers,” the spokesperson said.

In Scotland, Lorna Slater, Minister for Circular Economy, said successful June that azygous usage vapes had go a "big occupation - for our environment, section communities and young people,” and promised to denote caller plans successful the autumn.

Elfbar did not supply a remark for this article. It has previously told the BBC it recognised the accelerated maturation of the vape marketplace has had "environmental implications" and said it plans to present recycling boxes for retailers to cod utilized disposables.