According to the Daily Mail, Chinese companies are flooding the UK market with modified “throw away” vapes and child-friendly flavours, potentially bypassing a government ban on disposables.
Brands like Hayati, Pixl, SKE, and Elfbar, with manufacturing plants in Shenzhen, China’s “vape capital,” are selling up to 3 million “Big Puff” products weekly in Britain.
Critics warn that the government’s ban on disposable vapes, announced by former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak last year, could be ineffective as consumers switch to rechargeable vapes with refillable pods.
These devices, which can be refilled five times, offer up to 15,000 puffs, significantly extending their lifespan beyond the official “single-use” definition. Some even prove more cost-effective than disposable vapes.
Dr. Caroline Johnson, the Conservative Party’s shadow health minister, has called for changes to the Tobacco and Vapes Bill to limit refill tank sizes and prevent such workarounds.
However, her amendment was rejected by former health minister Andrew Gwynne, shortly before his dismissal over a scandal. Despite this, the brightly coloured Big Puff vapes, with flavours like Blue Razz Gummy Bear and Cherry Pop, remain in compliance with UK regulations and are marketed as “legal” products.
Some advertisements even boast that their devices are superior to disposables due to their longer lifespan.
