Government guidance has been issued to businesses impacted by the disposable vape ban which takes effect from 1st June this year. This includes all types of shops or online retailers that sell vapes, vape manufacturers, importers and wholesalers. The ban on single-use or disposable vapes will apply across the UK.
The ban was announced by the government in October last year, and is being introduced due to the environmental damage they cause and their popularity among young people, when there are increasing concerns about the health risks.
The government said disposable vapes were an inefficient use of critical resources and were often discarded as litter or thrown into non-recycled waste. It is concerned about the discarded vapes introducing harmful substances into the soil, rivers and streams, potentially harming biodiversity.
It was also noted by the government that they could cause fires, which risked the safety of waste management workers, firefighters and the public. We have spoken to schools that have had their hygiene contracts cancelled due to vapes being found in sanitary bins causing a risk of fire when the contents are crushed.
Enforcing the disposable vape ban
To be legal vapes from June must be fully reusable, and therefore have a battery to recharge the vape and be refillable with vape liquid. If a vape has a coil it must be one that can be replaced by an average user and a replacement coil must be available to buy separately.
The disposable vape ban will be enforced by a range of agencies including:
- Border Force
- Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)
- Office of Product Safety and Standards (OPSS)
- Trading Standards
Under the vape ban, England and Wales local authority Trading Standards, will lead on enforcement and they will be able to seize any single-use vapes they find. The punishments that they can issue vary slightly but include being able to issue a stop notice and to issue a fine of £200 in England, while in Wales there is also discretion to issue a variable fine of more than £200.
In Scotland the ban will be enforced by local authorities that will report criminal cases to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, which is responsible for prosecuting offences under the regulations. Here, and in Northern Ireland, those found guilty of supplying, offering to supply or intending to supply single-use vapes could face fines of up to £5,000.
Young people most likely to dispose of vapes irresponsibly
Recent research from non-profit organisation Material Focus found that younger vapers were more likely to throw away their disposable vapes irresponsibly, admitting they did this to hide their habit from others. The study found that 31% of 16–18-year-old vapers tended to throw away, drop or even flushed their vapes down the toilet because they did not want the people, they live with to know they vape – compared to 8% of the population.
There can be a serious financial impact to this. We are aware of schools that have been hit by hefty plumbing bills of up to £25,000 due to the discarding of vapes down the toilets.
The research also found that 3% of UK vapers said they drop single-use vapes on the ground compared to 8% of 16–18-year-olds and 33% of this age group that vape said they threw single-use devices away in the bin at their place of education or work.
We can help schools and other settings be ready for the disposable vape ban and to tackle vaping using the technology of the HALO Smart Sensor. To find out more about this vape detector please contact us.