A ban on single-use electronic cigarettes comes into force in the United Kingdom on May 31 to protect children's health and combat single-use plastic pollution.

“For too long, disposable vapes have littered our streets and addicted our children to nicotine,” said Deputy Environment Minister Mary Creggan.

She said the government was putting “an end to these disgusting devices” — a type of e-cigarette that is very popular among young people — and banning the sale of single-use vapes or their supply as part of a campaign against small shops and supermarkets in the United Kingdom.

Offenders will be fined £200, and repeat offenders risk up to two years in prison.

Young people and children are particularly attracted to cheap, colorful single-use vapes that come in attractive flavors such as mint, chocolate, mango, or watermelon since they were introduced in the United Kingdom in 2021.

In 2024, nearly 5 million single-use vapes were discarded each week, according to Material Focus, an independent UK-based non-profit organization.

Every year, over 40 tons of lithium, a key metal used in the tech industry, are thrown away with single-use vapes, which is enough to power 5,000 electric cars, the non-profit organization says.

Fire departments have also warned of the risk of discarded vapes catching fire in household waste.

“Any e-cigarette can cause a fire if not disposed of properly,” said Justin Greenway, commercial manager at electronic waste recycling company SWEEEP Kuusakoski.

The new law, first proposed by the previous Conservative government, aims to curb the rise in e-cigarette use.

“This new law is a step toward reducing vaping among children while ensuring that products are available to help people quit smoking,” said Carolyn Cherney, deputy executive director of the health charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH).

According to a recent ASH study, 11% of adults, or about 5.6 million people, and 18% of 11- to 17-year-olds—about 980,000 minors—use e-cigarettes. Among e-cigarette users, around 52% of young adults aged 18 to 24 prefer single-use e-cigarettes.

The long-term health risks of e-cigarette use remain unclear.

E-cigarettes do not produce tar or carbon monoxide, two of the most harmful elements in tobacco smoke. However, they do contain highly addictive nicotine.

The upcoming ban has already led to a decline in sales of single-use e-cigarettes. According to ASH, the use of single-use vapes among 18-24-year-old smokers has fallen from 52% in 2024 to 40% in 2025. | BGNES