Members of Sheffield universities and local businesses speak out in support of the incoming disposable vape ban next month.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory agency (MHRA) will ban the sale of disposable vapes from 1 June 2025, due to its danger to the environment and public safety.
The government agency said “Single-use vapes are an inefficient use of critical resources and are often discarded as litter or thrown into residual waste.
“Littering spoils our communities, introduces harmful substances into the soil, rivers and streams, and causes harm to biodiversity.”
These multi-flavoured, bright coloured pens not only have an accumulating environmental damage but also a mental one.
22-year old Kezia Nadin, a Social Work Student at Sheffield Hallam University said, “Single-use vapes are very easy to get and make it harder to resist temptation.
“They are more expensive though because you need to keep buying the same product after use. Buying a reusable vape just means you have to buy liquid to refill it which is much cheaper. As a smoker and vaper, I feel as though vaping is much more unhealthy for me.”
Businesses selling disposable vapes also see the negative effect it has on their customers.
Bradley Gaskell, 27, a local vape shop Manager agreed that a ban would eradicate youth vaping.
He said, “They used to only make them in 25 ml and that is the highest the government allowed. There was no way to kick the habit because there was no way to move down the nicotine strand other than to go cold turkey or not to quit at all.
“Some customers would tell me that they would quit but then would come again a couple days later and get another one saying again that ‘this is the last one’. It is essentially an endless cycle.”
Sheffield Addictions Research Group, found that from 2023-2024 they saw a “decline in smoking and a rise in vaping outside the Students’ Union, which reflects national trends.”
Calum Lewis, a Medicine PhD student and a member of SARG, said “The effectiveness of the policy may vary, young people or sellers could have previously stockpiled disposable vapes ahead of the ban.”
“Additionally, the companies that make e-cigarettes could find a way to circumvent the ban by adding charging capabilities to disposable vapes.
“The government will need to monitor e-cigarette trends following the ban to evaluate whether it is working as intended.”