Petition: ban disposable vapes

[ska invita]

There's also plenty of vape shops in the High Street and places openly selling vapes.

Good! Hopefully one day they'll be selling weed legally too

 

[cupid_stunt]

There's also plenty of vape shops in the High Street and places openly selling vapes.

It's crazy, we don't have a single old fashioned tobacconist shop in Worthing, i.e. a shop just selling fags, baccy, pipes, etc.

Every shop that sells fags & baccy also sell vapes, which is fine as the are all fairly low-key outlets, and yet we also have well over a dozen vape only shops, all heavily promoting special offers to try and get the punters in, they are simply not needed.

 

[cupid_stunt]

Good! Hopefully one day they'll be selling weed legally too

I would love to see weed outlets, but they would be licenced and controlled, as these vape stores should, instead of the free for all and heavy promotional activity that I am seeing now.

 

[editor]

I would love to see weed outlets, but they would be licenced and controlled, as these vape stores should, instead of the free for all and heavy promotional activity that I am seeing now.

Exactly.

 

[ska invita]

I would love to see weed outlets, but they would be licenced and controlled, as these vape stores should, instead of the free for all and heavy promotional activity that I am seeing now.

what would be the difference between a licensed vape shop and a non licensed vape shop?

 

[skyscraper101]

It's crazy, we don't have a single old fashioned tobacconist shop in Worthing, i.e. a shop just selling fags, baccy, pipes, etc.

Every shop that sells fags & baccy also sell vapes, which is fine as the are all fairly low-key outlets, and yet we also have well over a dozen vape only shops, all heavily promoting special offers to try and get the punters in, they are simply not needed.

I suspect the barrier to entry is a lot lower if you're just setting up a vape shop. Plus it wouldn't surprise me if most of them are just fronts for money laundering.

 

[cupid_stunt]

what would be the difference between a licensed vape shop and a non licensed vape shop?

I can't believe you are even asking that question TBH.

New laws and regulations need to be brought in to the prevent the free for all and heavy promotional activity that is taking place, this is a classic example of the 'free market' at its worst, promoting & pushing highly addictive and harmful* products to as many new punters as possible, which tends to be designed to catch them young.

To make vape retailers subject to the same sort of licencing as those selling fags & alcohol is the only sensible thing to do, it would massively reduce the rough traders, where fines don't always work, but the risk of losing their licence and business tend to do so.

* Not as harmful as smoking, but still harmful.

 

[cupid_stunt]

I suspect the barrier to entry is a lot lower if you're just setting up a vape shop. Plus it wouldn't surprise me if most of them are just fronts for money laundering.

Oh, the barrier to entry is a lot lower, and I agree many are probably fronts for money laundering, just like nail bars & hand car wash places.

 

[ska invita]

I can't believe you are even asking that question TBH.

New laws and regulations need to be brought in to the prevent the free for all and heavy promotional activity that is taking place, this is a classic example of the 'free market' at its worst, promoting & pushing highly addictive and harmful* products to as many new punters as possible, which tends to be designed to catch them young.

To make vape retailers subject to the same sort of licencing as those selling fags & alcohol is the only sensible thing to do, it would massively reduce the rough traders, where fines don't always work, but the risk of losing their licence and business tend to do so.

* Not as harmful as smoking, but still harmful.

I'm asking in good faith. Having a license to do things isn't much part of my life experience

If you are worried about "promotional activity" - advertising? - I dont see how licensing a vape shop changes that. That would be rules around advertising.

Imagine I got a license to open a vape shop and did so...what fuck up would I have to do to lose that license? Is it just to sell to someone under 18? Is there any other aspect to this?

Its already illegal to sell to under 18s, but if what you are saying is the fines aren't big enough and somehow not stopping those people caught from still selling to under 18s, then I take your point

 

[Sasaferrato]

As a further demonstration of my paucity of knowledge re vapes, what are the coils that people mention they need to replace fairly frequently?

 

[newme]

As a further demonstration of my paucity of knowledge re vapes, what are the coils that people mention they need to replace fairly frequently?

Bit with an absorbent material to take up liquid, is heated to then allow inhalation

 

[weltweit]

Vaping helped me give up smoking, always had a refillable, now down to the minimum nicotine level, will at some point go to zero and after that the only thing left will be to give up.

One of the best inventions (few) to come out of China. The refillables I mean.
The disposables are just wrong.

 

[cupid_stunt]

I'm asking in good faith. Having a license to do things isn't much part of my life experience

If you are worried about "promotional activity" - advertising? - I dont see how licensing a vape shop changes that. That would be rules around advertising.

Imagine I got a license to open a vape shop and did so...what fuck up would I have to do to lose that license? Is it just to sell to someone under 18? Is there any other aspect to this?

Its already illegal to sell to under 18s, but if what you are saying is the fines aren't big enough and somehow not stopping those people caught from still selling to under 18s, then I take your point

Let me draw a comparison to a very few 'corner shops' here in Worthing, and indeed across West Sussex, that lost their licences after being caught out selling alcohol and/or tobacco products to underaged teens, I would expect the same to apply if they (or licenced vape shops) broke the law on marketing, it basically plays out like this -

1st time caught out, off to court, loads of excuses and promises about improving staff training, small fine.
2nd time caught out, within a few months because none of those promises were kept, the same old excuses and promises, much larger fine.
3rd time caught out, within a few months again, because ditto, even larger fine & licence withdrawn, loads of whining about it would result in the shop closing and job loses.

Shop doesn't close and jobs are not lost, but it gets 'sold' to a more responsible person, who gets granted a licence, and funny enough doesn't then take the piss, isn't caught out despite several attempted test buys by trading standards, job done. And, funny enough other small shops gets the message that enforcement of licences is serious business, and they also behave themselves.

And, of course, the income from licences covers the council's cost to enforce them, rather than council tax payers having to fund it.

 

[editor]

Ban the things

More than a million vapes a day in UK thrown away, says research

From June 2025 it will be illegal to sell single-use vapes to combat environmental damage

www.theguardian.com

 

[Nigel]

Ban the things

More than a million vapes a day in UK thrown away, says research

From June 2025 it will be illegal to sell single-use vapes to combat environmental damage

www.theguardian.com

YOU'RE THE NANNY STATE!

 

[8ball]

Ban the things

More than a million vapes a day in UK thrown away, says research

From June 2025 it will be illegal to sell single-use vapes to combat environmental damage

www.theguardian.com

Absolutely.

Purely on the basis that young people enjoy them.

Little shits.

 

[Shippou-Sensei]

In my years of teaching I have caught a small handful of students with tobacco


I constantly need to address vapes.


I may be the nanny state but then you are the failed parents

 

[two sheds]

I've said it before but I used to blame the parents but now I'm of an age where I blame the grandparents.

And yes ban the things.

 

[UnderOpenSky]

I honestly don't get it. If your vaping regularly why not buy some kit.

I'm guilty of using these at the moment, but that's because I stopped nicotine earlier in the year and one of the micro free things last me months. I still feel bad, but plan to stop totally in the new year.

 

[Ax^]

yet we also have well over a dozen vape only shops, all heavily promoting special offers to try and get the punters in, they are simply not needed.

money laundering got to happen somewhere.

 

[maomao]

If your vaping regularly why not buy some kit.

If you're a teen whose vape gets confiscated regularly then disposables make perfect sense.

Also I guess the reason they still had packs of ten for so long. Every time I failed at giving up smoking it started with a pack of ten. And I rarely stocked up on cigarettes because I was always giving up next week.

 

[Nigel]

In my years of teaching I have caught a small handful of students with tobacco


I constantly need to address vapes.


I may be the nanny state but then you are the failed parents

FASCIST

 

[editor]

FASCIST

This weird shouty persona you've just adopted really isn't working out for you.

 

[Shippou-Sensei]

FASCIST

I considered posting nazi anime girls as a joke but I held back as they aren't as funny as you.

Although it's more funny as in move seats on public transport rather than comedic.

 

[edcraw]

Seen these recently which is presumably because of the ban coming. They're refillable but are still disposable (presumably as you can't replace the coil or whatever they have) and seem to last about 10 times normal disposable ones so not great.

https://www.lostmary.co.uk/lost-mary-bm6000-prefilled-kit-20mg-blueberry

Been vaping for a good few years with kits but can see the appeal of the disposable ones as smoother than any kit I've had. Admittedly I don't know much about kits as have just bought online as find vape shops bizarre and the amount of options just confusing.

Glad they're getting banned as environmentally they are a disaster but looks like they'll still be an issue with lots of batteries still ending up in landfill.

 

[Nigel]

Seen these recently which is presumably because of the ban coming. They're refillable but are still disposable (presumably as you can't replace the coil or whatever they have) and seem to last about 10 times normal disposable ones so not great.

Been vaping for a good few years with kits but can see the appeal of the disposable ones as smoother than any kit I've had. Admittedly I don't know much about kits as have just bought online as find vape shops bizarre and the amount of options just confusing.

Glad they're getting banned as environmentally they are a disaster but looks like they'll still be an issue with lots of batteries still ending up in landfill.

I've got my black market supply of vapes sorted out!l Hopefully the price won't exceed too much!

 

[Elpenor]

Substances found in vapes recently confiscated in local schools

MDMA
Ketamine
Spice (by far the most prevalent)

 

[editor]

Here's what the BMA thinks about vapes:

There is a growing epidemic of vape use in the UK, which needs to urgently be addressed through tighter regulations of products and restrictions to access. Vape use by adults has risen significantly over recent years, but more worryingly, by children and young people. 7.6% of 11-17 year olds are now vaping, either regularly or occasionally, compared to 1.3% in 2014.

One of the most dominant factors influencing the rise in the use of vapes is the widespread availability of disposable vapes. The availability of disposable vapes is clearly linked to the sharp rise in child use.

This is due to their cheap price, easy usability and deliberate industry marketing tactics to ensure the yappeal to young people. There is a detrimental impact on the environment due to a lack of recycling taking place and many tonnes of their associated waste ending up in landfills each year.

Disposable vapes now dominate the UK vape market, making up 83% of vape sales in the UK. Between2021 and 2023 disposable vapes soared in popularity, and an increasing number of vape brands that previously only produced rechargeable devices started to release disposable products.

Disposable vape sales grew from £141 million to £973 million in the UK between 2021 and 2022 and the use of disposable vapes among people who vape, rose from 1.2% to 22.2% alongside a drop in use of rechargeable vapes.

Environmental impact

Disposable vapes are notoriously difficult to recycle as the battery must be removed from the plastic by the individual user and there are limited recycling points to access. Two disposable vapes are thrown away every second in the UK and over half of them are not recycled.

As stated by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, a single-use vape contains on average0.15g of lithium; the mining of which has led to water loss, ground destabilisation, biodiversity loss, increased salinity of rivers, contaminated soil and toxic waste.

Due to the scale of the waste caused by disposable vapes, about 10 tonnes of the lithium is ending up in landfills each year2. In addition, lithium (a limited resource) is critical to the UK’s green transition. Over a year, the amount of lithium thrown away is enough to make around 1,200 electric car batteries.

https://www.bma.org.uk/media/z2zjmgzo/bma-briefing-environmental-protection-single-use-vapes-england-regulations-2024.pdf

 

[cupid_stunt]

For environmental reasons alone, I thought disposable vapes should have been banned as soon as they appeared on the market, but there's some seriously shocking figures there, like sales up from £141 million to £973 million in the UK in just one year, and about 10 tonnes of the lithium ending up in landfills, which could make around 1,200 electric car batteries.

Madness!

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

The sooner the shitty fucking things are banned, the better.