Great Britain says no to one-way vapes: a ban on smoking for children!

Great Britain says no to one-way vapes: a ban on smoking for children!

From Sunday, June 1, 2025, a significant ban on sales for disposable vapes will come into force in Great Britain. This is a measure that is part of a comprehensive law package against smoking, which aims to reduce the consumption of tobacco products, especially among children and adolescents. According to Exxpress.at , around five million one-way vapes were disposed of in 2024, which also strengthened the worries about pollution and health risks.

The British government pursues the goal of creating the “first smoke -free generation”. This includes a sustainable approach to the "cycle of addiction and disadvantage". From January 2027, even stricter measures should take effect. Then people who were born after January 1, 2009 are not allowed to buy tobacco products for life. The sale of e-cigarettes to minors should also be regulated heavily, including the ban on machines that offer such products.

Health risks of Vapes

experts warn of the health consequences, which are particularly for young consumers of disposable vapes. Even if vaping is considered less harmful than smoking, the government points out that it is not without risks. Long-term health consequences of one-way vapes have so far been unexplored. In the United States, there have been over 2,000 documented diseases since April 2019, which mostly occurred in young patients with severe lung damage, known as Evali (e-cigarette or vaping-associated lung damage). Over 40 affected patients have already died and illnesses often show symptoms such as breath shortness and tiredness, as mentioned in a report by pmc.ncbi.nih.gov

The increasing number of vaping users, especially among young people, has accepted worrying proportions. In the United States, where e-cigarettes have a significant market share, studies report a massive increase in consumption among students. In 2019, 27.5% of the students from 9-12. Classes to use e-cigarettes. The serious health concerns are also the reason why countries like France and Belgium are following the British example, while in Germany and Austria one-way e-cigarettes remain legal for the time being.

The introduction of the new regulations in the UK is therefore not only a reaction to the health concerns, but also a step to reduce serious environmental pollution, which is associated with the improper disposal of disposable vapes. From February 2027, the sale of disposable products with non -removable batteries will also be prohibited in the entire EU, which supports the efforts for more sustainability.