Scotland’s ban on the sale of single-use vapes will be pushed back by two months to align with the rest of the UK’s disposable vape ban.
Last week, it was announced that disposable vapes will be banned in England and Wales from June next year in a bid to protect children’s health and reduce environmental harm.
The ban – which will make it illegal to sell single-use vapes – was first announced in January by the previous government but was not brought into force before the general election.
However, the Scottish parliament had already passed regulations bringing the ban into force from 1 April 2025. Separate legislation had previously been introduced by each UK nation on banning the sale and supply of disposable vapes.
Scottish health secretary Neil Gray confirmed that Holyrood will now amend the date to 1 June 2025 to bring it in line with England and Wales. He said: ‘The Scottish government was the first in the UK to commit to taking action on single-use vapes.
‘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.’
Up to 26 million disposable vapes were consumed and thrown away in Scotland in the last year, according to a report by Zero Waste Scotland.
Reduce vape appeal
Last year, Materials Focus estimated that almost five million single-use vapes were either littered or thrown away in general waste every week in the UK. This is almost four times as much as the previous year and the equivalent of eight being thrown away every second.
The minister for public health and prevention, Andrew Gwynne, said: ‘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.
‘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.
‘The government will also introduce the Tobacco and Vapes Bill – the biggest public health intervention in a generation – which will protect young people from becoming hooked on nicotine and pave the way for a smoke-free UK.’
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