The Disposable Vape Ban Risks Delaying Smoking Cessation

By the middle of next year, disposable vapes will be banned in the United Kingdom. At the same time, the government has set a target to make the country smoke-free by 2030. Critics now argue that the measure is likely to hinder the transition from smoking to vaping among the wider population. Cancer Research UK even warns that the ambitious goal of a smoke-free Britain by 2030 risks being delayed by a decade unless more measures to reduce smoking are swiftly implemented.

Smoke-Free Target 2030 at Risk

From 1st July 2025, disposable vapes will become illegal in the United Kingdom. The final decision was made by the government at the end of October. One of the main arguments behind the legislation is that disposables, e-cigarettes designed neither to be refilled nor recharged, already pose a significant environmental burden. Another driving factor is the perception that disposables attract underage users to e-cigarettes, regardless of whether they were smokers previously.

Disposable Models to Disappear from Shelves

Over the past year, several studies have been published to investigate the consequences of banning these evidently popular products, which currently fill the shelves of numerous small shops across most British cities.

“A ban on single-use e-cigarettes would currently affect one in 20 adults in the UK – roughly 2.6 million people,” state the researchers behind a study published as recently as last year.

Research Results Show Significant Impact

According to the statistical study conducted at University College London, the age group most affected will be those aged 18-24. The use of disposable vapes by non-smokers is highest in this group (7 per cent) compared to the general population (1.5 per cent).

“There are 316,000 people aged 18 to 24 who currently use disposable vapes but have never regularly smoked tobacco. A ban could deter this group from starting to use e-cigarettes,” the researchers write.

At the same time, the ban would also affect 1.2 million current smokers and an additional 744,000 former smokers in older age groups.

“The ban would also have a disproportionate impact on vulnerable groups who have higher smoking rates than the average and generally find it harder to quit,” the researchers state in their summary.

Positive Effects of Vaping Highlighted

The organisation Knowledge Action Change, which advocates for and examines harm reduction measures for smokers, argues that the availability of e-cigarettes on the market has clearly contributed to the accelerated decline of smoked tobacco use in the UK, particularly over the last 10 years.

“Although smoking has steadily declined for decades, the smoking rate has decreased by 50 per cent since e-cigarettes were introduced to the market.

This highlights the positive impact and potential of harm reduction products,” K.A.C writes in its report “A Smokefree UK? How Research, Policy and Vapes Have Cut Smoking Rates.”

According to K.A.C.'s estimates, based on official data, the proportion of people vaping in the UK will surpass the proportion of smokers as early as 2025. This progress would not have been possible without the active involvement of authorities, researchers, and politicians.

“Our authorities have played a crucial role by publishing scientific research on the relative safety of e-cigarettes compared to smoking, and by supporting and promoting their use as a tool for smoking cessation. To a large extent, the UK has so far avoided the moral panic around vaping that has shaped policy in other countries. We have not experienced the same degree of anti-vaping rhetoric and policy influence from prominent but misinformed philanthropic organisations that have affected other parts of the world,” K.A.C. writes in its report.

Confusion Over the Message

Caitlyn Notley, an addiction expert at the University of East Anglia, acknowledges that the upcoming ban may indeed deter young non-smokers from using e-cigarettes. However, she also expresses concern that the message could easily be misinterpreted by the rest of the population.

“ Banning these products could create confusion about the relative risks. We must focus on the severe health damage caused by tobacco smoking and avoid messages that may deter people from switching to less harmful alternatives like e-cigarettes. Policies to regulate products and limit marketing directed at children are essential, but tightening regulations should not make it harder for adult smokers to access lower-risk products. The consequence could well be that we prolong the transition or even increase tobacco smoking, ”

– Caitlyn Notley, addiction expert at the University of East Anglia

Cancer Research UK: Government Efforts Insufficient

The organisation Cancer Research UK also believes that the government's measures may come too late to reduce smoking in the country to below five per cent by 2030. According to CRUK, smoking may indeed decrease to low levels among high- and middle-income earners, but usage among the poor and those with lower educational attainment is likely to remain high until 2039.

While the organisation does not oppose a ban on disposable models, it argues that the government should do more, such as requiring less colourful packaging for vape products in general. At the same time, there is concern that the message about relative risks could backfire.

“There is a significant risk that a ban on single-use e-cigarettes could cast all e-cigarettes in a negative light – even for adults who would otherwise have chosen or considered using them for smoking cessation,” the organisation tells ECigIntelligence.

Markus Lindblad Published 2024-11-11