Fresh Says Be Prepared

Coming into effect on Sunday, June 1, under environmental legislation, any vapes legally on sale must be reusable, meaning that they can be recharged and refilled.

However, says Fresh, vapes are playing an important role in helping smokers to quit with six out of ten people who quit smoking in the North East over the last five years using a vape.

Fresh was set up in 2005 as the UK’s first dedicated regional tobacco control programme to address what was the worst rate of smoking-related illness and death in England.

It is stressing that the disposable vapes ban is not a ban on all vapes and that adults who use vapes to quit smoking will still have access to a wide range of vaping products, including reusable and refillable versions of popular vapes widely available from vape shops.

Ailsa Rutter OBE, Director of Fresh and Balance, said: "The new rules will help take plastics out of the environment as waste while also reducing easy access of vapes to children. But adults will still have a full range of effective options to help them to quit lethal tobacco smoking.

"For people still using disposables now, buying a refillable device instead could save you money within weeks. Having a chat with an adviser could also help you ensure you get as much nicotine as you need to quit smoking and get more out of vaping as a quit aid.

"If you vape to quit smoking, it is important to switch completely and stay off tobacco. If you are concerned or in doubt, talk to your stop smoking service or specialist vape shop to help you make the switch."

But she added: "Beside vapes, we shouldn’t forget that tobacco is also toxic for the environment as well as lethally toxic for people who smoke.

"Cigarette butts make up the vast majority of discarded items of litter going to landfill sites and the poisons in discarded cigarettes such as arsenic and lead pollute our soil, waterways and seas, harming our wildlife."

Vapes are offered by most stop smoking services in England as part of the national Swap to Stop initiative. They are also offered to patients admitted to hospital in some trusts/mental health settings to stay off lethal tobacco smoking. Many refillable devices are now available for less than half the cost of a packet of cigarettes.

Fresh says: “For retailers and stop smoking services, the ban means they have until June 1 to distribute any remaining stock. After this point, it will be illegal to sell or supply disposable vapes. There are no exemptions to the ban for any settings or purposes.

“Local authority Trading Standards will lead on enforcing the ban within their area. If you suspect that someone is supplying single use vapes after the ban, contact your local Trading Standards service.”

Advice from the NHS is clear: “Nicotine vaping is less harmful than smoking as well as one of the most effective tools for quitting smoking.” 

Fresh reminds vapers that whether their devices are reusable or disposable, vapes should be properly recycled to protect the environment. 

According to Recycle Your Electricals, almost 80% of materials in vapes can be recycled, and if every vape were properly recycled, we would have enough lithium to power 10,000 e-cars. 

You can find your nearest vape recycling point here.

All vape retailers should dispose of stock safely before June 1 and offer a ‘take back’ service for used vapes, pods, coils, and batteries.

DEFRA has produced guidance on the ban, which includes information for healthcare settings as well as definitions of single-use vapes and reusable vapes which will not be banned.

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Dave Cross

Journalist at POTV

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Dave is a freelance writer; with articles on music, motorbikes, football, pop-science, vaping and tobacco harm reduction in Sounds, Melody Maker, UBG, AWoL, Bike, When Saturday Comes, Vape News Magazine, and syndicated across the Johnston Press group. He was published in an anthology of “Greatest Football Writing”, but still believes this was a mistake. Dave contributes sketches to comedy shows and used to co-host a radio sketch show. He’s worked with numerous start-ups to develop content for their websites.