British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is set to announce a ban on the sale of disposable e-cigarettes or vapes on Monday, as part of efforts to prevent vaping addiction among youth.
The move comes alongside plans to restrict vape flavors, mandate plain packaging, and change how vaping products are displayed in shops – making them less visible and appealing to children.
Sunak stated, “Alongside our commitment to stop those turning 15 or younger from legally buying cigarettes, these changes will leave a lasting legacy by protecting our children’s health.”
While vapes help smokers quit, their growing use among youth has raised health concerns. Currently, 9% of 11-15-year-olds in the UK use vapes. Last December, the WHO called for a global ban on all vape flavors which attract young users.
However, the vaping industry argues flavors play a key role in getting smokers to switch to the comparatively less harmful vapes. They warn the changes may deter cigarette smokers from transitioning.
Sunak contends, “I must do what I think is right for our country in the long term. That is why I am taking bold action to ban disposable vapes which have driven the rise in youth vaping.”
Apart from health impacts, the disposable vape ban also aims to reduce waste as nearly 5 million get discarded weekly in the UK.
The sale of tobacco to anyone born after January 1, 2009, is already prohibited under the previous policy. Now the disposable vape ban signals more aggressive steps against smoking, which causes 80,000 deaths annually in Britain.
