UK Kent County to Formally Ban the Use of Disposable Vapes
On July 19, kentlive reports that Kent County's local government agency decided to take formal action to call for a ban on disposable e-cigarettes.
Multiple legislators call for one-time ban
Critics of e-cigarettes say many feature fancy packaging and sweet fruit flavors designed to appeal to young people and children.
A ban has been proposed by Green Party member Jenni Hawkins, who says the lithium used in disposable e-cigarette batteries should be recycled. These e-cigarettes are said to be unstable and prone to exploding and catching fire when squeezed. More than 700 garbage truck fires and fires at recycling centers have been linked to disposable e-cigarettes.
Rep. Hawkins said:
"Disposing of vapes is also wasteful; lithium is a material that is critical to the Net Zero transition, and the 10 tonnes of lithium discarded from disposable vapes each year is the same as that needed for 1,200 electric cars."
Clair Bell, cabinet member for public health, said she recognizes that e-cigarettes are a "relative newcomer" but thinks a one-off ban could be counterproductive.
And David Fothergill, chair of the Local Government Association's mass well-being committee, said:
"Disposable vapes are fundamentally flawed in their design and inherently unsustainable products, meaning an outright ban will prove more effective than attempts to recycle more vapes."
According to the Local Government Association (LGA), local authorities have investigated e-cigarettes on the market that are designed and flavored in a way that may appeal to children. The Local Government Association adds:
"Strict new measures to regulate the display and marketing of regular vaping products in the same way as tobacco are needed."
In addition to Kent, Oxfordshire County Council in the United Kingdom has recently taken a stand in favor of banning disposable e-cigarettes. Ansaf Azhar, director of public health for Oxfordshire, said the county council is calling on the government to introduce a ban on disposable e-cigarettes.
According to a BBC news report, market research firm NielsenIQ data shows that 300 million e-cigarettes (both disposable and other types) were sold in the UK in the past year.
Industry associations emphasize need for stronger recycling efforts
The e-cigarette industry believes the government should impose fines on retailers who sell e-cigarettes to underage customers and earmark the revenue.
The UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) believes there should be a greater emphasis on recycling and believes that e-cigarettes are beneficial for people looking to quit smoking.
UKVIA director general John Dunne said:
"Experience… shows that where blanket bans have been introduced on regulated single use vapes, there is a massive influx of illegal, untested and potentially deadly black-market products which take their place and this is in nobody’s interest."
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