Scotland Considers Banning Disposable Vapes

Scotland's First Minister, Humza Yousaf, has proposed plans to ban disposable vapes.

Breaking news: Scotland's First Minister, Humza Yousaf, has put forward a plan to ban disposable vapes. Some campaigners have already highlighted the negative environmental impact of the plastic tubes used in these disposable vapes, as they are often casually thrown on the ground after use. At the same time, government concern has been rising over the growing popularity of these products among young people. 

Humza Yousaf said the Scottish government will consult on banning disposable vapes, and he made the proposal while setting out the government's main priorities for the coming year.

He told the Scottish Parliament: “I hear all too often about how common vape use has become among our young people. Over the next year, we will take action to reduce vaping, especially among children. I am pleased to announce that our government will consult on restricting the sale of disposable single-use vapes, including considering a full ban.” 

A recent Scottish government report found that around 22% of all under-18s—approximately 78,000 people—used vapes in the past year, and that vaping is more common among young people than smoking. The report also found that most under-18 vape users prefer disposable vapes. A review by Zero Waste Scotland estimated that as many as 2.7 million disposable vapes were littered across Scotland last year. The study estimated that Scotland currently has 543,000 vape users and projected that, without intervention, this number could rise to 900,000 by 2027. 

A survey by the UK Office for National Statistics (ONS) also showed that the proportion of young women in the UK using vapes daily is increasing. Among women aged 16 to 24, the daily vape use rate rose from 1.9% in 2021 to 6.7% in 2022. This means the number of young female vape users across the UK increased from about 62,000 to 225,000. 

Scottish Green MSP Gillian Mackay said exploring a ban on disposable vapes would “protect young smokers from incalculable harm to their health.” She said: “There will likely be opposition from the tobacco industry, and possibly even from the UK government, because they like to interfere in decisions made by our Parliament, but this issue is far too important to become a casualty of political games. The medical community and environmental campaigners alike agree that urgent action is needed.”

Reference:    【1】 Scotland to consider ban on disposable vapes