Disposable vape ban 'good news' for Lancashire's environment
The proposed ban by the government is intended to protect children's health - but it could also be good for the planet.
The Government's plans to get rid of disposable vapes to protect children's health could also benefit the environment.
Wigan based environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy have welcomed the ban, as they say the vapes have been damaging the environment.
Allison Ogden-Newton OBE is the Cheif Executive said: "There is nothing disposable about a disposable vape.
"They can't be disposed of, they can be recycled in a specialist environment but they cannot be safely and cleanly disposed of.
"The disposal element merely refers to the way we view them which is to use and discard."
She added: "The legislation being introduced to ban them is a huge step forward.
"Moving forward we have all got to do our bit to end the disposable society and herald in the new era of sustainable consumption."
During a school visit on Monday, the Prime Minister will say why he believes disposable vapes must not fall into the hands of children, following a public consultation on the issue in which almost 70% of respondents were in favour of a ban.
It is already illegal to sell vapes to anyone under 18, but evidence shows disposable vapes - which are cheaper and sold in smaller, more colourful packaging than refillable ones - are driving the rise in youth vaping.
In 2021, only 7.7% of current vapers aged 11 to 17 used disposable vapes, but this increased to 52% in 2022 and 69% in 2023.
Headteachers and parents have expressed concerns over the rise in youth vaping, with data showing 7.6% of 11 to 17-year-olds now vape regularly or occasionally, up from 4.1% in 2020.
Last year, the Government also announced a ban on the sale of cigarettes to anyone born on or after January 1, 2009.
The ban on disposable vapes will use powers already in place under the Environmental Protection Act and is expected to come into force early next year.
Under the new plans, powers will also be introduced to restrict flavours which are specifically marketed at children and ensure that manufacturers produce plainer packaging and change how vapes are displayed in shops, moving them out of children's sight.
New £100 fines will also be brought in for shops in England and Wales which sell vapes illegally to children.
Trading standards officers will be given powers to act "on the spot" to tackle underage tobacco and vape sales. This builds on a maximum £2,500 fine that local authorities can already impose.
Vaping alternatives - such as nicotine pouches - will also be banned for children.
Mr Sunak said in a statement: "As any parent or teacher knows, one of the most worrying trends at the moment is the rise in vaping among children, and so we must act before it becomes endemic.
"The long-term impacts of vaping are unknown and the nicotine within them can be highly addictive, so while vaping can be a useful tool to help smokers quit, marketing vapes to children is not acceptable.
"As Prime Minister I have an obligation to do what I think is the right thing for our country in the long term.
"That is why I am taking bold action to ban disposable vapes - which have driven the rise in youth vaping - and bring forward new powers to restrict vape flavours, introduce plain packaging and change how vapes are displayed in shops.