This landmark announcement comes after Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) campaigned for action from governments across the UK to tackle youth vaping.
RCPCH first called on the Westminster Government to ban disposable e-cigarettes in June 2023 due to their disproportionate use among children and young people and their detrimental impact on the environment. A quarter of 11-15-year-olds used a vape last year and the most frequently used device last year for young people in the UK was a disposable vape at 69%.
Research also shows that 5 million disposable vapes are discarded each week in the UK, adding to unnecessary waste. It is estimated that all the disposable vapes thrown away in a year contain enough lithium to provide batteries for 5,000 electric cars.
A ban was first announced in January by the previous government, but was not enacted before the general election. In addition to the ban on disposable vapes being brought forward by Department for Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs (Defra), the College is urging the UK Government and Department for Health and Social Care to urgently bring forward a world leading Tobacco and Vapes Bill. This should help create a smokefree generation and strengthen regulations, including on flavours and marketing, around the sales of all vapes
Dr Mike McKean, RCPCH VP for Policy said
Paediatricians have repeatedly warned that disposable vapes are bad news for children and our planet and we’re delighted that the Westminster Government has heard our calls. Bold action was always needed to curb youth vaping and banning disposables is a meaningful step in the right direction.
We look forward to seeing more details about these landmark plans, especially in terms of implementation, enforcement, and monitoring.
Professor Steve Turner, President of RCPCH said
As a children’s respiratory consultant I am concerned about the potential harms of vaping on children’s lungs and the rising number of children who are becoming addicted to nicotine through vaping. Disposable e-cigarettes are disproportionately used by children and young people and also create extreme levels of hard-to-recycle waste, with nearly 5 million thrown away every week. A ban on disposables is absolutely the right path forward and I strongly urge robust plans to be rolled out and enforced across every UK nation.
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