Health charity urges disposable vapes 2025 UK ban to go ahead as planned after general election

A leading Scots health charity has urged MPs to ensure the disposable vapes ban goes ahead UK-wide as planned after the general election.

Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) Scotland said it was “critical” the timeline of a ban is not affected by any change in government.

It comes after Rishi Sunak’s government failed to pass its flagship Tobacco and Vapes Bill at Westminster before parliament broke for the snap election despite Labour backing it.

All four UK nations had previously agreed to outlaw polluting disposable e-cigs from April 1, 2025, as exclusively revealed by the Daily Record.

The Scottish Government has already published regulations for a ban after the Record’s successful Bin The Vapes campaign piled pressure on politicians to act.

But it’s feared the failure of the Tories to pass their wider Bill - plus political change at Westminster - could delay the policy.

ASH Scotland boss Sheila Duffy said: “The Scottish Government’s proposed ban of disposable recreational e-cigarettes, which are the product of choice for the majority of youngsters who vape, will be a vital step towards tackling the major public health concern of children and young people across Scotland vaping.

“It is critical that the timeline isn’t affected by the General Election and the forming of a new government at Westminster, and the plan stays on track for these health and environment- harming products to be banned throughout the UK from April 1 2025.”

The charity wants the Bill to be “immediately reintroduced” once MPs return - including measures to stop the “targeted marketing” of candy-flavoured vapes at kids and teens.

The legislation will also ban anyone born from 2009 onwards from ever buying tobacco as part of efforts to create a “smoke-free generation” - with the SNP government replicating the move in Scotland.

Duffy continued: “Tobacco continues to be the biggest preventable killer, causing more than 8000 deaths each year.

“The new UK Government and cross-party MPs as well as the Scottish Government should work at pace to eradicate the damage that profit-centred multinational tobacco corporations are inflicting on people’s lives and enable Scotland to attain a tobacco-free generation by the target date of 2034.

“Tobacco industry promotions have lured youngsters into starting to use their addictive, harmful products for decades and the same is happening with vapes.

“So we’re urging General Election candidates to support our call to stop the targeted marketing of sweet flavoured, brightly coloured e-cigarettes in engaging packaging aimed at children, by supporting the introduction of vital measures as a matter of urgency to protect the health of young people now and future generations.”

Scottish Green MSP Gillian Mackay, a backer of the Record’s campaign to ban single-use vapes, last week wrote to all party leaders urging no delay on outlawing the disposables menace.

We’ve previously highlighted how the gadgets are swamping our streets and green spaces with litter and electronic waste, spreading in our schools and hooking a new generation on nicotine.

Mackay said: “Disposable vapes are totally wasteful and unnecessary. A ban cannot come soon enough for our health or our communities.

“A lot of the parliamentary work and scrutiny that needed to be done has been delayed by the general election, which has put question marks over the viability of the current timeline.

“We can’t let such an important public health measure be delayed by this snap election.”

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