News that disposable vapes will soon be outlawed has been welcomed by conservationists at Kent Wildlife Trust who hailed the announcement as a “win for wildlife.”
The Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced that disposable vapes will be banned in the UK in an effort the curb the alarming rise in young people vaping. He added that new powers will restrict vape flavours to make them less appealing to children and that it will become illegal to sell tobacco products to anyone born after 1 January 2009 in a pledge to create a smoke-free generation.
Whilst a date for the implementation of the ban has not been announced, it is thought the government will use existing environmental protection laws to speed up the process with some media outlets suggesting this could happen by the end of 2025 or early 2025.
Conservationists and animal charities alike have welcomed the news, saying that the new laws may also prevent the loss of wildlife that mistake vapes for food and unwittingly consume them.
Statistics released by the Veterinary Poisons Information Service show that the number of enquiries relating to vape liquid and electronic cigarette products in pets has steadily risen by 60% from 88 in 2017 to 141 in 2022. The toxic chemicals contained in a vape can be fatal to animals who may mistake vapes for food and consume them.
Charlotte Lewis of Kent Wildlife Trust said: “This is a win for wildlife as well as for child health. Around 5 million vapes are thrown away each week which is enough to fill 22 football pitches. They contain materials and poisonous substances including plastic, lithium and nicotine, all of which can be hazardous to animals.
“Over the last few years, we have found an increasing number dumped on our nature reserves. This is not only unsightly, but they are difficult to recycle and pose a significant risk to wildlife and grazing animals.
“We welcome the news that disposable vapes will be banned and hope this helps to raise public awareness of the hazards that disposable plastics like vapes and balloons cause to the animals on our nature reserves, these are precious havens that our wildlife desperately need.”
To learn more about the nature nightmares we face on our reserves and how we tackle them click here.