The legislation banning disposable vapes was introduced by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) in 2024. From 1 June 2025, it will be illegal to sell, supply, or possess for sale or supply any single use vapes, including non-nicotine versions. This ban does not apply to reusable vapes, meaning only rechargeable, refillable devices with replaceable coils will remain available for retail sale.
What are disposable vapes?
Disposable vapes, also known as single-use e-cigarettes, have been widely used by individuals trying to quit smoking due to their convenience, ease of use, and variety of flavours. In 2024, the most popular disposable vape brands in the UK were Elf Bar (52%) and Lost Mary (40%).
Disposable vapes have also been used to support smokefree NHS trusts, assist individuals with severe mental illness (SMI) in quitting smoking, and help hospital patients abstain from tobacco use.
Why are disposable vapes being banned?
There are two primary reasons for the ban:
1. Environmental Protection
In 2023/24, Material Focus estimated that 5 million single use vapes were discarded weekly in the UK. These devices pose significant environmental risks:
- Harmful metals can leach into soil and waterways. - Wildlife may ingest vapes, mistaking them for food. - Lithium-ion batteries can cause fires, over 1,200 bin lorry fires were reported in 2023. - Plastics in vapes degrade into microplastics, entering the food chain. - While a vape may last for 600 puffs, its plastic casing could persist in the environment for over 600 years.
2. Reduce Youth Vaping
According to the 2024 Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) Smokefree GB Youth Survey, 69% of youth vapers aged 11–17 used disposable vapes. The surge in youth vaping has been linked to the introduction of new disposable models in 2021. These products gained popularity due to their affordability, appealing flavours, and colourful packaging.
Expected impact of the ban
The ban aims to:
Reduce vape-related litter and environmental harm.
Support broader efforts to curb youth vaping.
Early signs are promising: the proportion of 16–24-year-olds using disposable vapes dropped from 63% to 35% in the past year.
The upcoming Tobacco and Vapes Bill will aim to go further; to regulate flavours, packaging, and display of reusable vapes. Fixed penalty notices for underage sales will increase from £100 to £200. An additional £10 million will be allocated to Trading Standards in 2025/26 to combat the illicit tobacco and vapes market.
Advice for disposable vape users
Users may continue using disposable vapes legally obtained before the ban, though this will likely be short-term as personal supply is used up.
Switch to reusable vapes to support smoking cessation and maintain abstinence. - If you’ve never smoked but use vapes or are considering reducing or quitting vaping, contact your local stop smoking service for support. - Recycle disposable vapes responsibly. Visit your local authority website or Recycle Your Electricals – Material Focus for guidance.
Totally Wicked, a trusted vape retailer and partner in Reed Wellbeing Smoking Cessation services, offers a take-back scheme in over 150 UK stores.
Reed Wellbeing Services
In our Reed Wellbeing stop smoking services, e-cigarettes are available for service users to support their quit attempt from tobacco smoking. We offer specialist support to enable our service users to use e-cigarettes safely and effectively. Furthermore, we offer behavioural support to ensure service users develop other healthy habits and coping mechanisms to manage urges and help to maintain long term abstinence from tobacco.
We are committed to supporting the safe and effective use of e-cigarettes for smoking cessation. In addition, we are committed to supporting the aim to reduce youth vaping and therefore, we will be developing toolkits and resources to help educate young people on the potential risks of nicotine addiction and vaping soon.