THE LABOUR GOVERNMENT has done a good thing by promising to enact one of the previous Tory Government’s plans. Now there’s a sentence you don’t hear often.

The cause of all this joy is that the Government has announeced that it will ban the sale of single use or disposable vapes from June 2025 – a move originally proposed by Rishi Sunak, and which fell along with his Government.

Once upon a time we were told that tobacco-cigarettes would be good for us, and tobacco companies kept telling us that even after they had discovered how those cigarettes cause cancer and other illnesses. Vapes were invented and marketed by large companies which saw sales opportunities in the falling numbers of smokers across the western world. Their manufacturers also told us they would not be harmful: with pretty packaging and names like “strawberry delight”, what’s not to love?

The unloveable feature of single-use vapes was the chemicals inside them, which users puff into their lungs, from where they travel round the body. The chemicals include carcinogens, metals and others know to cause physical illness. Many vapes also include nicotine and other addictive products, giving young users serious mental health problems.

“Young users”: that’s the key. The pretty packets and innocent names are targetted at young people – particularly disposable vapes, with their low prices. Some confused users – and those with a commercial interest – have hit out at the threatened ban, pointing out that vapes can help smokers quit smoking conventional cigarettes. That is true. But the disposable or single use vapes that will be banned are marketed and children and are increasingly used by those who have never smoked before. If anything, disposable vapes are becoming a gateway drug which encourages people to take up smoking, not to stop it. Action on Smoking and Health claims that only 12.9% of the UK population now smokes. The Government estimates that 9& of the population is vaping. We have cut one danerous passtime – but substituted another.

Single use vapes cause other headaches too. The devices contain small batteries, which commonly contain lithium, mercury and various acids. They are often thrown away with domestic refuse – causing fires in rubbish trucks and leaking the chemicals into the soil when they end up in landfill.

John Dunn, Director General of the UK Vaping Industry Association was interviewed about the ban on Radio’s 4’s Today programme. Dunn suggested that a ban might lead to an increase in ilegal sales. We can only say to Mr Dunn that if the legal sale of vapes is to be banned, there is no need for his member organisations to manufacture them, is there? A government that can ban the sale of disposable vapes can also ban the manufacture of them. Think on’t, Mr Dunn. And maybe find a new job, working with industries that don’t profit from causing death and injury.

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