County Durham campaign group warns vape users to prepare for upcoming ban
County Durham anti-smoking campaign group Fresh is urging anyone using disposable vapes as a tool to quit smoking to be prepared ahead of a ban on single use vapes from June 1st.
County Durham anti-smoking campaign group Fresh is urging anyone using disposable vapes as a tool to quit smoking to be prepared ahead of a ban on single use vapes from June 1st.
The upcoming ban on disposable vapes will prohibit the sale and supply of single use vapes in England, Scotland, and Wales. Coming into effect on June 1, 2025, under environmental legislation, any vapes legally on sale must be reusable, meaning that they can be recharged and refilled.
However, Fresh say vapes are playing an important role in helping smokers to quit with six out of ten people who quit smoking in the North East over the last five years using a vape.
Fresh is stressing that the disposable vapes ban is not a ban on all vapes and that adults who use vapes to quit smoking will still have access to a wide range of vaping products, including reusable and refillable versions of popular vapes widely available from vape shops.
Ailsa Rutter OBE, Director of Fresh and Balance, said: “The new rules will help take plastics out of the environment as waste while also reducing easy access of vapes to children. But adults will still have a full range of effective options to help them to quit lethal tobacco smoking.
“For people still using disposables now, buying a refillable device instead could save you money within weeks. Having a chat with an adviser could also help you ensure you get as much nicotine as you need to quit smoking and get more out of vaping as a quit aid.
“If you vape to quit smoking, it is important to switch completely and stay off tobacco. If you are concerned or in doubt, talk to your stop smoking service or specialist vape shop to help you make the switch.”
But she added: “Beside vapes, we shouldn’t forget that tobacco is also toxic for the environment as well as lethally toxic for people who smoke. Cigarette butts make up the vast majority of discarded items of litter going to landfill sites and the poisons in discarded cigarettes such as arsenic and lead pollute our soil, waterways and seas, harming our wildlife.”
Definition of a reusable vape
To be reusable, a vape must:
• have a battery you can recharge
• be refillable with vape liquid
If the vape has a coil, it must be one that can be replaced by an average user – this includes any part of the product that heats or generates a vapour when interacting with the product’s ingredients.