Northern Ireland will delay its ban on the sale and supply of single-use vapes by two months, the government has announced.
The ban was previously set to take effect from April 2025, but the government announced it will now come into force on 1 June. This new date aligns with the planned introduction of the same ban by the Scottish, Welsh and UK governments.
According to environment minister Andrew Muir, this alignment will ‘provide clarity for businesses’ which currently sell single-use vaping products. It will also reduce the environmental impact of the ‘incorrect disposal’ of the vapes.
The vape ban follows reports that an estimated five million single-use vapes were either littered or thrown away in general waste each week in the UK. This marks a fourfold increase on the previous year.
In Northern Ireland, vapes were found to contribute to litter as much as single-use cups and food waste.
‘Devastating impact’ of vapes
Announcing the ban’s delay, Muir said: ‘The environmental damage created by the rise in the littering and incorrect disposal of used vapes, as well as their poor recyclability, is a key concern for me.
‘Single-use vape waste can have a devastating impact on our environment and biodiversity and I welcome this ban which will have better benefits for our environment and consequently for our general health and wellbeing.’
He added: ‘My department, UK government, Scottish and Welsh governments have committed to separately developing legislation to ban single use vapes, with an agreed UK wide ban coming into operation from 1 June 2025.’
Joseph Carter, the Northern Ireland head of the Asthma + Lung UK charity, welcomed the announcement of the ban, calling it a ‘huge win’. He said: ‘Single-use vapes are increasingly visible in our schools, hooking our children on nicotine and littering our streets.
‘This year we surveyed a thousand people in Northern Ireland and over 80% said they are concerned about children and young people vaping with no history of smoking and the use of vapes in schools.
‘If you’re a smoker and you want to quit tobacco, vaping can be a helpful way to give up smoking. But for children and those who don’t smoke, starting to vape isn’t a good idea, especially if you have a lung condition.’
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