UK Government Plans Ban on Disposable

According to a report by BBC on January 29th, the UK government has stated that in order to address the increasing issue of young people using e-cigarettes, it will ban the sale of disposable e-cigarettes in the country.

According to reports, although the implementation timeline has not been specified yet, the government plans to enforce this ban using existing environmental protection regulations. Once the timeline is established, retailers will be given a transitional period of six months to adapt to this change.

The government plans to tighten regulations on the sale of flavored e-cigarettes and require simpler and less appealing packaging to prevent them from being marketed towards children. Additionally, shops will be required to place oil-refillable e-cigarettes out of sight from children and away from other products, such as candies, that may entice their purchase. The government also stated that further public consultations will be conducted to determine which flavors should be banned and how oil-refillable e-cigarettes should be sold.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will explain the plan during a school visit. In a statement, he stated, "As any concerned parent or teacher aware of the growing trend knows, one of the worrying trends currently is the increase in children using e-cigarettes, therefore, we must take decisive actions before this trend becomes prevalent."

This decision is a measure following last year's announcement to ban the sale of cigarettes to individuals born after January 1, 2009, aimed at achieving the goal of a "smoke-free generation". Despite the current ban on selling e-cigarettes to individuals under the age of 18, the government emphasizes that disposable e-cigarettes, usually sold in smaller and more appealing packaging, are one of the key factors contributing to the sharp rise in youth smoking.