Category: Disposables

  • Welsh Lawmakers Back Ban on Disposable Vapes

    Welsh Lawmakers Back Ban on Disposable Vapes

    Credit: Iama Sing

    The Welsh government has backed a ban on the sale of disposable vapes in Wales from next June.

    Deputy First Minister Huw Irranca-Davies said the move was a “major step forward in tackling throwaway culture and the environmental impacts of single-use vapes.”

    He said the Welsh government was working closely with ministers in all the UK nations to implement the ban simultaneously, reports the BBC.

    No single-use vapes can be sold or given away for free after June 1, 2025.

    The Welsh government is urging businesses to speak to their suppliers about ordering alternatives, start educating their staff, and inform customers.

    Businesses will also have to organize the eventual safe disposal of single-use vapes for their customers.

    The Welsh government announced the ban in October after the UK government said it would stop the sale of disposable vapes in England from June 2025.

    The Scottish government initially planned to introduce the ban in April but delayed it by two months to comply with England and Wales’ schedule.

    There have been fears the appeal of vaping had spread to non-smokers in the UK.

    Scientists estimated the number of adults in England to have started vaping despite never having been regular smokers had reached one million in October this year.

    There were also concerns a ban could fuel an already growing black market of illegal vapes, which can have higher nicotine content.

  • AYR Wellness Expands to Include Disposable Vape

    AYR Wellness Expands to Include Disposable Vape

    AYR Wellness Inc., a U.S. multi-state cannabis operator, has expanded its Later Days brand to include a line of pocket-friendly vapes with new flavors.

    Patients and adult-use customers in Massachusetts, New Jersey, Nevada, and Ohio can begin exploring AYR’s newest vape offering starting November 25th, with additional markets to follow later, according to a press release.

    The collection of compact disposables offers a discrete delivery system, a 280mAh battery, a USB-C charging port and an oil window. Later, Days Vapes is launching with five flavors: Sweet Strawberry, Juicy Mango, Frozen Watermelon, Winter Mint, and Georgia Peach. The easy-to-use devices will initially be available in a 1g size in all states, with a 2g size launching in New Jersey and Massachusetts in early 2025.

    “We’ve placed a major emphasis on both rationalizing our brand portfolio and enhancing product selection, with hardware designed to deliver excellent experiences for our customers,” said George Denardo, chief operating officer at AYR. “Later Days stands out in a crowded vape market with a unique blend of creativity, innovation, and quality.

    “The fun and familiar format, combined with a range of refreshing mint and fruit-forward flavors, addresses what a growing segment of cannabis consumers are looking for.”

  • Report: UK Disposable Ban Could Boost Smoking

    Report: UK Disposable Ban Could Boost Smoking

    VV Archive

    Ministers in the UK have been told that a plan to ban the sale of disposable vapes by next summer could lead to some users “reverting or relapsing” back to cigarette smoking.

    The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said vape usage in England had grown by more than 400% between 2012 and 2023, with 9.1% of the public buying and using the products.

    The legislation, which will be introduced to parliament this year, will ban the sale of single-use vapes in England to limit, among other things, the environmental damage they cause, media has reported.

    However, an impact assessment by Defra revealed that “29% of current [people who vape] will either revert/relapse to smoking tobacco” as a result of the ban. Officials said, “If the ban is increasing the use of cigarettes, there could be health disbenefits.”

    The report added: “We have assumed that most users of disposable vapes will switch to reusable vapes. However, there will be a proportion of users that may revert to smoking tobacco or quit vaping and smoking altogether.”

    The legislation had been tabled under Rishi Sunak’s premiership, but the government ran out of time in the last parliament.

    The tobacco and vapes bill would prevent anyone born from 2009 from legally smoking by gradually raising the age at which tobacco can be bought. It also aims to impose restrictions on the sale and marketing of vapes to children.

    The health secretary, Wes Streeting, said this month he planned to introduce the bill “before Christmas”.

    The Labour MP Mary Glindon criticized the chancellor’s tax increase on vape liquid during the budget debate, saying it could discourage people from quitting smoking.

    Glindon, the MP for Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend, said the increase, to take place in October 2026, was “unsustainably high” and would “hurt working people” who used vapes.

  • Scotland Pauses Disposable Ban to Join UK Date

    Scotland Pauses Disposable Ban to Join UK Date

    VV Archives

    A ban on selling single-use vapes in Scotland has been postponed by two months to fall in line with the rest of the UK.

    New legislation at Westminster will ban the devices from June 1 next year.

    The Scottish Parliament passed regulations bringing the ban into force on April 1.

    However, Scottish Health Secretary Neil Gray announced that Holyrood would now amend the date.

    Each UK nation had previously introduced separate legislation banning the sale and supply of single-use vapes.

    “The Scottish government was the first in the UK to commit to taking action on single-use vapes,” Gray said, the BBC reports.

    “We have worked closely across the four nations to ensure a consistent approach to a ban on the sale and supply of single-use vapes so we can provide certainty to businesses and consumers.”

  • 2025: UK Ban on Disposable Vapes Starts in June

    2025: UK Ban on Disposable Vapes Starts in June

    VV Archive

    The sale of disposable vapes will be banned in England and Wales beginning in June of next year, the government has confirmed.

    Ministers in England said the move, first announced in January by the previous government but not enacted before the general election, is intended to protect children’s health and prevent environmental damage.

    The government said it had worked closely with the devolved nations and that they would “align coming into force dates” on bans. According to media reports, Wales has already confirmed it will follow suit.

    Vaping industry leaders have warned the move could fuel a rise in illegal sales of the products.

    The Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (Defra) said vape usage in England had grown by more than 400 percent between 2012 and 2023, with 9 percent of the British public now buying and using the products.

    It is illegal to sell any vape to anyone under 18, but disposable vapes – often sold in smaller, more colorful packaging than refillable ones – are a “key driver behind the alarming rise in youth vaping”, the previous government said when it first set out its plan.

    Public health minister Andrew Gwynne said banning disposables would “reduce the appeal of vapes to children and keep them out of the hands of vulnerable young people”.

  • U.K. County Installs Vape Waste Bins for Recycling

    U.K. County Installs Vape Waste Bins for Recycling

    Credit: North Yorkshire Council

    In North Yorkshire County in the United Kingdom, vape recycling bins have been installed at all 20 household waste recycling centers to prevent vapes from ending up in curbside bins.

    Materials used in single-use vapes can harm the environment and must be disposed of separately.

    Once collected at the recycling centres, they are transported to the recycling facility to be dismantled and the lithium-ion battery is removed for processing while the metals and plastics are recycled.

    Lithium-ion batteries can cause fires if discarded in curbside recycling or waste bins. These batteries cause most fires in the waste collection and recycling industry.

    “This exciting new initiative has the aim of ensuring that people who use vape devices know how to dispose of them in the right way,” said the county’s executive member for waste services, Cllr Greg White. “Vapes are not safe to be recycled or disposed of in kerbside bins or boxes at home. One incorrectly discarded vape could cause huge damage or serious injury.

    “In August, we also introduced coffee pod bins at our recycling centers as we aim to continue expanding what we accept at our recycling centers. These initiatives demonstrate our commitment to responsible recycling and reducing our carbon footprint.”

    Research released this year from Material Focus found that, in the UK, the public is buying 7.7 million single use vapes per week, which has doubled compared to 2022.

    People are also throwing away five million single use vapes per week, or eight per second, which has quadrupled compared to 2022.

  • Ireland Nearing Total Ban on Disposable Vapes

    Ireland Nearing Total Ban on Disposable Vapes

    Credit: Schankz

    The Irish government is set to ban disposable vapes.

    This week, Cabinet approved draft laws tabled by Health Minister Stephen Donnelly. Under the proposed laws, the sale, manufacture, and import of single-use or disposable vapes in Ireland will be completely banned.

    The legislation will also introduce a ban on a multitude of flavors that the government believes often appeal to children – it is estimated that as many as 15,000 flavor combinations exist.

    The laws will also introduce a ban on point-of-sale display or advertising in shops, other than specialist shops that only sell the products, reports the BBC.

    Donnelly also wants to restrict the colors and imagery on packages and devices to prevent them from being aimed at youth.

    Ireland has already banned the sale of all nicotine inhaling products to under 18s and a range of other curbs such as advertising, pop-up shop sales and a ban of sale from vending machines will commence next year.

    The minister has said the plans to introduce a ban are on environmental and public health grounds.

  • Durbin Blames Police for Illegal Flavored Vape Surge

    Durbin Blames Police for Illegal Flavored Vape Surge

    VV Archives

    Illinois Senator Dick Durbin strongly condemned top health and law enforcement officials for their inadequate efforts in combating the surge of illegal disposable e-cigarettes among young people in the U.S.

    Industry analysts estimate disposable vapes make up 30 percent to 40 percent of the roughly $7 billion vaping market. The two best-selling disposables—Breeze and Elf Bar—generated more than $500 million in sales last year, according to Nielsen retail sales data analyzed by Goldman Sachs, according to media reports.

    Both brands have been sanctioned by FDA regulators but remain widely available, in some cases with new names, logos, and flavors. More than half of the 2.8 million U.S. teens who vaped last year said they used Elf Bar.

    Overall, teen vaping has fallen 60 percent since its all-time high in 2019, following the COVID-19 pandemic and new age restrictions and flavor bans on e-cigarettes and other tobacco products.

    “Nearly all e-cigarettes are sold in violation of federal law, yet 2 million kids report vaping,” Durbin tweeted.

    Using its own authorities, the FDA has sent hundreds of warning letters to vape shops and e-cigarette manufacturers in recent years. But the letters have done little to dissuade companies from flouting FDA rules and introducing new vapes.

  • Activist Decry New Zealand’s Disposables Ban

    Activist Decry New Zealand’s Disposables Ban

    Photo: YarikL

    Vaping activists have expressed concern about New Zealand’s decision to ban disposable e-cigarettes.

    The New Zealand Ministry of Health announced the ban with the intention of reducing adolescent vaping. The new regulations prohibit the manufacture and sale of all non-rechargeable and non-refillable vapes, including single-use containers such as pre-filled tanks, pods and cartridges.

    The World Vapers Alliance (WVA) warned that the ban could undermine New Zealand’s progress in reducing smoking rates.

    “Preventing teenagers from using nicotine products is essential, and strict age regulations should be enforced to achieve this goal,” said WVA Policy Manager Alberto Gómez Hernández in a statement.

    “However, banning disposable vapes and various pod systems for adult consumers will have negative public health implications and jeopardize the progress towards a smoke-free society achieved in the last decade. This approach fails to recognize the vital role disposable vaping products play in helping smokers transition away from cigarettes.”

    The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA) expressed similar reservations. “We understand and support the government’s intent to curb youth vaping,” said CAPHRA Executive Coordinator Nancy Loucas.

    “However, the proposed ban on disposable vaping products, including prefilled tanks, pods and cartridges, will create substantial barriers for adults who smoke and older vapers. Many of these individuals rely on simpler, disposable products due to difficulties with dexterity and the complexities of refillable devices. This ban could force them back to smoking cigarettes, which is counterproductive to the Smokefree 2025 goal.”

  • New York City Wants Wholesalers to End Vape Sales

    New York City Wants Wholesalers to End Vape Sales

    Credit: Adobe Stock

    The mayor of New York City has requested a Manhattan judge to intervene immediately and halt the sale of illegal flavored vapes by 11 wholesalers in New York.

    The city filed suit against the wholesalers in April, citing data that kids and teens are getting hooked on flavored e-cigarettes at alarming rates.

    Now, the city’s lawyers say they need a preliminary injunction to force the illegal, flavored vape peddlers to quit their noxious practices immediately, according to the New York Post.

    “While we have already filed a lawsuit to hold these distributors accountable for their actions, the motion we have filed will help us ensure that they can no longer peddle this poison to our children while this case is being litigated,” Adams said in a statement after the request for an injunction was filed Monday.

    Court records show that city investigators were able to directly place orders from the wholesalers.

    The probers also were able to uncover sales invoices from vape distributors in the city, the documents show.