The British government will ban the sale of disposable e-cigarettes in order to prevent their use by children, according to multiple media reports including Reuters. The plans will be announced by UK prime minister Rishi Sunak.
According to The Guardian, the UK government will also restrict flavored e-cigarettes with sweet and fruity flavors and introduce plain packaging and making displays less visible in shops.
Announcing the move, Rishi Sunak said: “As any parent or teacher knows, one of the most worrying trends at the moment is the rise in vaping among children, and so we must act before it becomes endemic.”
He added: “As prime minister, I have an obligation to do what I think is the right thing 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 – and bring forward new powers to restrict vape flavours, introduce plain packaging and change how vapes are displayed in shops.”
Source: The Guardian
Sky News reports on the possible environmental benefits of such a ban, as well.
Anna Diski, plastics campaigner at Greenpeace UK, called vapes a “clear environmental menace” because they are “near impossible to recycle”. It is hard to separate the lithium battery from the plastic and other parts that make up a vape. Ms Diski said: “They’re one of the new defining images of single-use, throwaway culture, often ending up as waste that litters our streets, parks, and our beaches.”
Source: Sky News
The reports anticipate changes to be implemented end of 2024 or early 2025.
