Public Health Scotland welcomes ban on disposable vapes

Public Health Scotland (PHS) welcomes the latest steps to create a smokefree generation with the ban on the sale and supply of single-use vapes in Scotland, which comes into effect on 1 June 2025.

The ban has been agreed by all governments in the UK in response to the 4 Nations Creating a smokefree generation and tackling youth vaping consultation, which ran across Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland in 2024. In Scotland, the consultation was taken forward using powers under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

Dr Garth Reid, Consultant in Public Health at PHS said:

"This is a positive development for public health - protecting our environment and reducing youth vaping. Disposable vapes are cheap, attractive, and widely promoted. They are the most popular product among young people who vape. Many disposable vapes end up in landfill or the incinerator instead of being recycled. This legislation can help tackle both of these crucial issues.”

Read the joint Public Health Scotland and Scottish Directors of Public Health calls for action on stopping tobacco smoking and youth vaping position statement from 2024 that calls for national and local action to help stop tobacco smoking and youth vaping in Scotland.

Read the UK Government's policy paper - Stopping the Start: Our New Plan to Create a Smoke-free Generation.

Read the Scottish Government's Tobacco and Vaping Framework Roadmap to 2034.