The United Kingdom will be banning disposable vapes starting June 2025. This ban on single-use vapes aims to curb usage among teens and decrease environmental harm in the U.K. The ban on selling and supplying single-use disposable vapes could positively impact the U.K.’s overall community health and environment. Should the U.S. follow this action to protect its people and the environment?
It is no secret how popular the use of single-use vapes has become within our generation. With the popularity of pods, bars, pens, and more, these devices have had a significant impact on people’s health, and we are still learning of its effects in the present day. Each year, there are more and more cases of individuals affected by nicotine vapes, with most of the victims of these adverse health effects being teenagers.
Disposable vapes are described as single-use nicotine devices pre-filled with liquid intended for short-term use. Although e-cigarettes were purposed to help individuals quit the use of cigarettes, there’s been an increase in teen nicotine consumption, and the U.K. legislation has officially pulled the plug.
Not only do disposable vapes have immense impacts on people’s health, but they’ve also caused significant damage to our oceans and wildlife with the increasing usage and disposal of e-cigarettes. Disposable vapes are non-biodegradable due to the harmful chemicals they contain. Additionally, each disposable vape is packed with lithium batteries. Not only is this a waste of resources, but it’s immensely dangerous for the environment. Lithium batteries harm the environment with the release of toxins in water supplies, soil, and habitats.
These hazardous materials are unrecyclable, generating an increase in plastic pollution. Single-use vapes accumulate massive amounts of plastic pollution, causing harmful plastic consumption in wildlife and sea creatures. Ocean ecosystems are endangered by these wasteful plastics, causing an increase in environmental pollution. According to the U.K. Parliament, “1.3 single-use vapes are thrown away every week or 5.4 million per month.” This means that the disposable vapes thrown out each week end up in our oceans and our wildlife, disrupting ecosystems and endangering the animals and plants residing there.
According to the Public Interest Network, “A study that looked at the effects of vape waste on aquatic plants found that disposable vapes pose a novel threat to aquatic ecosystems, and it would be prudent to prevent them from becoming the next top litter item.”
The new U.K. legislation could serve as a wake-up call for the U.S. government. The use and disposal of single-use vapes negatively affect our people and our environment, and the U.K. has taken the cautionary step of advocating for environmental rights by protecting both. By learning the adverse and impactful effects of these nicotine devices, we can enact change to protect the ones affected by the pollution.