Key point: Councils in England and Wales have urged the UK government to ban the sale of disposable e-cigarettes before 2024 on environmental and health grounds. According to Reuters, the councils representing England and Wales
The councils of England and Wales are calling on the UK government to ban the sale of disposable e-cigarettes by 2024, citing environmental and health concerns.According to Reuters, the Local Government Association (LGA), representing councils in England and Wales, stated that it is crucial for the ban to take effect quickly, as the EU has proposed a ban to be implemented in 2026, and France will introduce a ban this December. With the market closing, disposable e-cigarettes may flood into the UK.David Fothergill, chair of the LGA's community welfare committee, believes: "Disposable e-cigarettes are fundamentally flawed in design and are inherently unsustainable products, which means that a complete ban on e-cigarettes will be more effective than recycling more e-cigarettes."The UK e-cigarette industry association has defended disposable e-cigarettes.John Dunne, the association's director general, stated in an interview with BBC Radio last Saturday: "Disposable e-cigarettes have been around for over a decade; they are inexpensive, easily accessible, and help smokers quit cigarettes."1.3 million disposable e-cigarettes are discarded each week, causing harm to recycling efforts and leading to bin fires. The LGA stated that disposable e-cigarettes are designed as a whole, making it impossible to separate the battery from the plastic, and they are nearly impossible to recycle without special treatment.The LGA also expressed concerns about the impact of e-cigarettes on children and young people.
