New Vape Law in England: £600 Fines for Disposable Vape Sales Starting June 1

A new rule by the Labour Party government in England will stop businesses from selling or giving away single-use vapes beginning June 1. This is the latest effort in a plan to fight against youth vaping.

Anyone not complying with the changes to household waste will be subject to fines up to £600, as the maximum punishment is increasing. Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) on the UK government website backed up the warning.

The ban is a result of greater fears about more young people choosing to vape. According to Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), nearly one in five children in the UK, about 20.5%, had tried vaping last year, which is much higher than the 15.8% recorded in 2022 and 13.9% in 2020 (Action on Smoking and Health (ASH). The interest in disposable vapes may be coasting downwards at the moment. The usage of single-use vapes by people aged 16 to 24 fell from 63% before to 35% after January 2024, according to a study led by Dr Sarah Jackson. The number of people vaping stayed the same at the beginning of 2024, having risen by almost a quarter every year since 2022.

Dr Jackson commented, “Action is likely still required to reduce high vaping rates. But now the situation has stabilised, policymakers may be sensible to avoid stricter options that might deter smokers from using vapes to quit.”

This new measure is an important advance in handling youth vaping and environmental damage from disposable e-cigarettes.