Local authorities in England and Wales have called on the Government to ban disposable e-cigarettes over concerns about their impact on the environment and young people.
The Local Government Association (LGA) said the sale and manufacture of single-use vapes should be banned by 2024.
The organisation said 1.3 million vapes were thrown away every week, with many ending up as litter on the streets.
Cllr David Fothergill, chairman of the LGA’s community wellbeing board, said: ‘Disposable vapes are fundamentally flawed in their design and inherently unsustainable products, meaning an outright ban will prove more effective than attempts to recycle more vapes.’
The LGA also raised concerns about the impact of vaping on children and young people and said the marketing and display of vape products – often involving fruity flavours and colourful packaging – should be regulated.
However, campaign group Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) said banning single-use vapes would see the sale of illegal disposable vapes ‘turbo-charged’.
Hazel Cheeseman, deputy chief executive at ASH, said: ‘Children already find it easy to get hold of illegal vapes, as those selling them have no qualms selling to children. Making them all illegal won’t help.’
Instead, Ms Cheeseman said, ASH supported an excise tax on disposable vapes and greater powers for Border Force, HMRC and trading standards to control their import, distribution and sale.
The London Tobacco Alliance, a partnership created to accelerate efforts to eliminate smoking in London, recently backed the use of vapes as a quitting aid.
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