Single Use Vapes Ban – 1st June 2025 – why are they being banned?*
From 1 June 2025, businesses will be banned from selling or supplying any single-use vapes, whether that’s in shops or online.
There has been a worrying trend of people stockpiling single use vapes, and are worried they will return to smoking, as many people report the reusable vapes have a distinctive “metallic” taste. Essex Working Well is able to provide a free 4 week Mindfulness for Vaping Cessation programme. Our next course will be starting on Thursday 24th July – 14th August – 10-11am. Please book your place via smoothbook.
How many children and adults vape?
Around 18% of 11 to 17-year-olds (980,000 children) have tried vaping, external, according to a 2024 survey by health charity ASH (Action on Smoking and Health).
About 7% (390,000 children) said they currently vaped, down from 8% in 2023, but still well above the 4% figure recorded in 2020. In contrast, just over 5% of 11 to 17-year-olds (280,000 children) said they currently smoked, while just under 3% (150,000 children) said they both smoked and vaped. Among all age groups over 16, the use of vapes has risen, with about 5.1 million people using a vape or e-cigarette in 2023.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) says 5.9% of people aged 16 and over vaped every day, up slightly from the previous year, while another 3.9% did so occasionally. The group with the highest rate of vape use – nearly 16% – was 16-24 year-olds.
Retailers caught breaking the law in England face a minimum £200 fine, with a prison sentence of up to two years for repeat offences. Penalties are broadly similar in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Trading Standards will be able to seize any single-use vapes they find. Only devices considered to be reusable will be legal. That means that they must have a rechargeable battery, a replaceable coil, and be refillable. It won’t be illegal to own a disposable vape after 1 June. Customers can still return them, and retailers have an obligation to get rid of them.
Vaping tax – Vaping products are already subject to 20% VAT but, unlike tobacco, they do not currently attract a separate additional tax. A new vaping duty will start on 1 October 2026. It will be charged at a flat rate of £2.20 per 10ml vaping liquid. At the same time, tobacco duty will be increased to preserve the financial incentive for cigarette smokers to switch to vaping.
Advertising and sponsorship ban – The government’s Tobacco and Vapes Bill – which is currently making its way through Parliament – will outlaw vape advertising and sponsorship. It will also restrict the flavours, packaging and display of vapes and other nicotine products. Children have been targeted with colours, branding and flavours such as bubble gum or candy floss, to push a product that can lead to nicotine addiction, the British Medical Association has warned.
Illegal vapes – The government is also cracking down on iIlegal vapes, which are widely available and are much more likely to contain other harmful chemicals or drugs. More than six million illegal vaping products were seized by Trading Standards officers across England between 2022 and 2024, according to analysis by the BBC.
Definition of single-use and reusable vapes
Single-use vapes are not designed or intended for reuse. A vape is single-use if it either:
- has a battery you cannot recharge
- is not refillable
To be reuseable, a vape must have a:
- rechargeable battery
- refillable container that holds the vaping e-liquid (such as a chamber, capsule, cartridge, pod or tank)
- removable and replaceable coil (if the vape contains a coil)
Refill requirements for reusable vapes
Reusable vapes can be refillable by either:
- filling up the tank or cartridge with e-liquid
- inserting new, pre-filled pods
Refills (pods or e-liquid refill bottles) should be separately available for users to buy.
Coil requirements for reusable vapes
Some reusable vapes have a coil (which produces heat and vaporises the e-liquid). If there is a coil, it must be removable and replaceable by the vape user.
Reusable vapes can have coils that are either:
- directly removable and replaceable
- contained in a removable and replaceable pod or cartridge
The coil (whether part of a replacement pod or tank, or not) should be separately available to buy.
If you’re not sure a vape is reusable
Check the definitions of single-use and reusable vapes first. If you’re still not sure a vape is reusable, you can contact your local Trading Standards for advice.
