Disposable vapes ban ‘unlikely’ to tackle e-cigarette use

A disposable vapes ban may have a “limited impact” on the number of people using e-cigarettes, according to researchers.

There has been a “shift away” from disposable vapes since the ban was announced, with more people opting for refillable and reusable devices, a study showed.

Academics from University College London (UCL) also suggest that the rapid rise in e-cigarette use in Britain in recent years had “stalled”.

They warned that “stricter policy options” being reviewed around vapes could stop smokers using the devices to quit cigarettes.

The Government announced plans to ban disposable vapes last January, with the measure coming into force on June 1.

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill, currently working its way through Parliament, also includes powers to potentially restrict the packaging, marketing and flavours of e-cigarettes.

Fall in use of disposable vapes

For the study, funded by Cancer Research UK, researchers looked at the Smoking Toolkit Study, an ongoing survey on the smoking habits of adults in England, Wales and Scotland.

The team analysed data collected between January 2022 and January last year, which included responses from 88,611 people.

During the two-year period, vaping rates among those aged 16 and over increased from 8.9 per cent to 13.5 per cent.

In January 2024, 43.6 per cent mainly used disposables, but this had fallen to 29.4 per cent a year later. The decline was steeper among 16 to 24-year-olds, according to researchers.

Dr Sarah Jackson, of the UCL Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care and the lead author, said: “Our results also suggest that the Government’s ban on disposables, coming into force in June, may have limited impact on vaping rates in general, given that vapers are already moving away from disposable vapes.

“It seems likely that people using these products will move to reusable versions rather than stop vaping completely.”

The academics said: “After the new policy measures were announced in January 2024, trends in current vaping prevalence changed. Among both adults and young adults, prevalence was no longer increasing and instead remained relatively stable.”

‘Sensible to avoid stricter policy options’

Dr Jackson added: “Action is likely still required to reduce high vaping rates but, now that the situation has stabilised, policymakers may be reassured that it would be sensible to avoid stricter policy options currently under review.

“Some of the options being considered may be more likely to have the unintended consequence of deterring smokers from using vapes to quit smoking.”

Prof Jamie Brown, also of the UCL Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care, said that despite the “understandable” desire for action relating to vaping among children, smoking “remains the number one public health priority”.

“These findings should reassure policymakers that they can prioritise measures, such as restrictions on marketing, packaging and display, which are least likely to undermine how helpful vapes are for people trying to quit smoking.

“It is important that these measures are introduced alongside other messaging and policies that continue to encourage and support smokers to quit smoking, such as mass media campaigns and the Swap to Stop scheme.”

Commenting on the findings, Caroline Cerny, the deputy chief executive of public health charity Action on Smoking and Health, said: “This data indicates that the Government’s action on vaping is starting to shift both business practices and consumer behaviour. That’s a positive sign and shows that the planned regulations have potential to tackle the trend in youth vaping.

“At the same time, it’s important to strike the right balance: protecting young people while still supporting adults to stop smoking. With well-designed policies, we can achieve both.”