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Vaping has been on the rise in recent years as many look towards quitting smoking. This is a good stepping stone to being smoke free, however as vaping has risen in popularity, so has "disposable" vapes. This is creating significant environmental issues:
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This campaign is now moving in many different directions. As I speak to elected representatives and organisations about moving forward in the most informed way possible, if you're also passionate about this issue please get in touch and let me know how you could get involved.
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Scotland First Minister Humza Yousaf announced in his parliamentary speech for 2023/24 that the government will consult on an outright ban of single-use disposable vapes!
A great resource from the Local Government Association looking at the FAQs around a ban on disposable vapes - tap the photo to go to the webpage.
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Councils are joining paediatricians in calling for a ban on disposable vapes owing to environmental damage and the soaring number of young people deciding to take them up. The Local Government Association representing councils in England and Wales, said urgent action was needed! With the EU proposing a ban from 2026 and France this December, there are concerns that more vapes could flood into the UK.
The conversation continued on many different platforms like BBC Radio 5 Live. |
Earlier I joined Sky News alongside John Dunne, UK Vaping Industry Director to discuss the significant issues around disposable vapes. It was a lacklustre response as usual from the UK Vaping Industry Association in the wake of the great news that English and Welsh councils calling for a ban on disposable vapes.
I joined BBC News to continue the coverage of this story, highlighting the reasons it must be a ban on single-use disposable vapes to address the many problems associated.
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The Scottish Government review on disposable vapes is out, and many different policy options have been outlined. Hear my thoughts on BBC Reporting Scotland.
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Great to join BBC Radio 4 on tour in Edinburgh with Mishal Husain to discuss the Ban Disposable Vapes campaign!
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#BanDisposableVapes campaign from BBC Scotland The Seven, with a special feature of Cooper the dog! Also hear from BBC Radio Scotland.
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All Party Parliamentary Group - Environment - at Westminster Houses of Parliament on the topic of disposable vapes, putting forward the many reasons these should be banned. On the panel alongside me (left) was Alex Heal (right of me) from the Financial Times, Dr Caroline Johnson MP (blue dress back left), Selaine Saxby MP (middle blue blazer ,chair), John Dunne (black suit middle) from the UK Vaping Industry Association, Libby Peake (right) from the Green Alliance, and the Minister for Environment Rebecca Pow (green blazer). Read my reflections here.
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As the campaign continues we are seeing more and more interest from councils to back the ban on single-use disposable vapes!
If you'd like your council to join, why not email your councillor to ask them to put forward a motion? You can find lots of information about what to say on the 'email your MP' page. You can tweak this to suit your messaging, local area, and who you're contacting. And of course get in touch if you'd like any help! You can email through the form at the top of the page. |
Thanks to Gillian MacKay MSP for raising another FMQ around the Ban Disposable Vapes campaign, and for a follow up from Mercedes Villalba MSP. First Minister Humza Yousaf confirms a ban is something the Scottish Government is considering and will wait for the Zero Waste Scotland review to make a decision, alongside considering a pilot ban in Dundee.
Great to join Sky News again to discuss the issues of disposable vapes, particularly when it comes to young people and the environment.
Thank you to BBC News for covering the campaign, and for featuring a brilliant piece beforehand which discussed the issues of youth vaping, which can be viewed here.
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A fantastic and comprehensive piece from the Financial Times around the environment and public health issues associated with disposable vapes.
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A brilliant piece from Bloomberg on disposable vapes. The most shocking bit: “Three fires broke out at the Grundon waste disposal plant near London’s Heathrow Airport in the past six months. In each case, the chief suspects were disposable vaping devices containing lithium batteries.” See below for what the reality is for disposable vapes in our waste plants...
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Dundee City Council has unanimously supported the Ban Disposable Vapes campaign, and it was great to have ITV and STV up to cover it!
Thank you Tom Heap and Sky News for covering the Ban Disposable Vapes campaign, and putting my question to Therese Coffey - a shame the environment secretary wasn’t aware of the Scottish Government review by Zero Waste Scotland and ban consideration, and lack of support at UK level.
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Thank you to Winifred Robinson for interviewing me for BBC Radio 4 You and Yours. We discussed the problem of disposable vapes as litter and wasteful products, plus explored the role vaping companies and retailers have to address the issue and provide adequate ways to dispose of their products. Also interviewed; John Dunne - Vaping Industry, and Scott Butler - Material Focus.
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Thank you to GillianMacKay Scottish Greens MSP and
Humza Yousaf SNP MSP (Cabinet Secretary for Health & Social Care) for addressing the issue of single-use disposable vapes in the Scottish Parliament, and committing the government to consider a ban of these products. |
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- Although branded as "disposable" many of the most popular brands such as Elf Bar pictured below contain NO information on their websites explaining how to responsibly dispose of their products
- As vapes are classed as Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) and the e-liquid in the vape contains nicotine and a host of other chemicals, disposal of these products must comply with both the WEEE Directive and Hazardous Waste Regulations, something which is not stated on many brands websites
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Thanks to Laura McGhie for chatting to me on BBC Radio 5 Live about "disposable" vapes, thinking about their environmental issues, and issues with young people being marketed to heavily. Hear our conversation...
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I am often asked just how many "disposable" vapes I find when out and about. But the truth is that normally I just go about my business and only spot them when they catch my eye. I've never been out purposefully looking for them...until now.
I took just over an hour out of my day to go on a walk around Dundee to look for vapes. I walked 4 miles and found 55 vapes. That's nearly 1 vape per minute walking. You can find out all about the trip here and watch the videos I posted. |
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Waitrose has stopped selling single-use vaping products because of their negative impact on the environment and the health of young people.
The popularity of products such as e-cigarettes has soared over the past year, with vaping in Great Britain reaching record levels. About 4.3 million people are regular vapers, according to a recent report. The company said it could no longer justify selling single-use products and that it had removed two types of e-cigarette from sale. |
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Amit Katwala and Charlotte Williams explore the world of e-cigarettes and vapes, tracing their extraordinary growth and asking whether they’re life savers or something more insidious. We hear from Time journalist Jamie DuCharme, author of the book Big Vape, about the rise and fall of the e-cigarette firm Juul who recently paid out over $430 million after being accused of targeting teenagers with its advertising.
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Shaun Yendalls, the owner of two vape shops in South London, explains why his staff actively try to stop people buying his products and Scott Butler from Material Focus details the massive environmental impact of the new fad for disposable vapes.
Colin Mearns
I've finally had enough of disposable vapes, and want to do something about it! Read the article to find out more...
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