Single-use vapes will be banned from sale in the UK from next July, the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs has confirmed.
It means Defra is sticking to the script laid out by the former Tory administration when former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pledged to crack down on these cheap cigarette alternatives.
Policymakers have consistently voiced concerns over the environmental impact caused by single-use vapes, as well as their popularity among underaged users.
"Single-use vapes are extremely wasteful and blight our towns and cities,” said ‘circular economy’ minister Mary Creagh. “That is why we are banning single-use vapes as we end this nation’s throwaway culture.
“This is the first step on the road to a circular economy, where we use resources for longer, reduce waste, accelerate the path to net zero and create thousands of jobs across the country.”
“It’s deeply worrying that a quarter of 11-15-year-olds used a vape last year and we know disposables are the product of choice for the majority of kids vaping today,” added Minister for Health and Prevention Andrew Gwynne.
“Banning disposable vapes will not only protect the environment but importantly reduce the appeal of vapes to children and keep them out of the hands of vulnerable young people.”
Shares in Supreme plc, a London-listed distributor of vapes, including disposable products, fell by 2.3% following the announcement.
Supreme stated: "Supreme welcomes the government’s announcement today confirming the ban on single-use vapes by June 2025. We have been working towards this deadline, which was first announced in January 2024, and have been realigning our core vaping products to ensure we are fully compliant well in advance of the ban coming into effect.
Supreme remains fully committed to doing what we can to support the eradication of underage vaping so that the industry can get back to its core objective - helping adult smokers find an affordable, sustainable, and safer alternative to smoking.”
Updated with Supreme comment