The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) has long called on the UK government and the respective devolved governments to ban disposable e-cigarettes, due to their disproportionate use by children and young people, and the harmful impacts they have on the environment. These calls were heard by the UK government, who announced plans early last year to ban these detrimental products.
Disposable vapes have been a key driver behind a rise in youth vaping, with data now showing that almost one in 10 secondary school students now regularly vape. Approximately one million people in England now also vape despite never having been regular smokers. While vaping can be a valuable tool to help smokers quit, it is not risk free, potentially addictive and the long-term harms are unknown.
Currently at least 5 million disposable vapes are thrown away every week in the UK. A single-use vape also contains on average 0.15g of lithium (a limited resource) – the mining of which has led to water loss, ground destabilisation, biodiversity loss, increased salinity of rivers, contaminated soil and toxic waste. Research also shows that disposable e-cigarettes are notoriously difficult to recycle and often cause dangerous fires in UK waste plants.
Alongside this ban, the Tobacco & Vapes Bill is set to be introduced to gradually phase out cigarettes, restrict vape flavours which are specifically marketed at children and ensure that e-cigarette manufacturers produce plainer, less visually appealing packaging. The Bill will also change how vapes are displayed in shops, moving them out of sight from children and away from products that appeal to them like sweets.
The College welcomes this groundbreaking legislation and supports the Government’s goal to create a smokefree generation but notes that consistent focus and bold long-term ambition is needed to achieve this.
RCPCH Vice President for Policy & Respiratory Paediatric Consultant, Dr Mike McKean, said:
The ban of disposable vapes, alongside the Tobacco & Vapes Bill is a welcome step forward in creating a smokefree generation, free from nicotine addiction. However, we know that these measures alone are no silver bullet.
We must assume that tobacco and e-cigarette companies will continue to find new ways to target young people unless Government remains vigilant, and legislation is robust. We can’t afford complacency when it comes to the health and wellbeing of our young people.