UK Disposable Vape Ban Could Drive 200,000 Back to Smoking
The upcoming UK ban on disposable vapes, set to take effect next month, could inadvertently push up to 200,000 current vapers back to smoking traditional cigarettes, a new report from the Future Health Research Centre warns. While the ban aims to protect the environment and address the alarming rise in youth vaping rates (from 0.8% in 2013 to 7.2% in 2023), the research suggests it risks undermining progress towards a “smokefree” Britain if users are not adequately supported in their “quit journey.”
The report, titled “Endgame: managing the disposable vapes ban and the journey to a smokefree future,” includes new polling of 4,393 British adults. It found that 45% of vapers use disposable devices either “always,” “often,” or “sometimes,” with the highest usage rates among those aged 18 to 24. An estimated 5 million single-use vapes, often available at “pocket money prices,” are discarded weekly in the UK.
Crucially, the survey revealed that 12% of current disposable vape users say they will switch back to smoking cigarettes as a result of the ban. In contrast, 54% plan to switch to another type of vaping product (e.g., refillable systems), 15% intend to stop vaping altogether, and 9% will try traditional nicotine replacement therapies like patches or gum.
Modelling based on these findings indicates that while the ban might lead to between 175,000 and 378,000 people stopping vaping, it could also cause the smoking population to increase by 90,000 to 200,000 individuals. This would add approximately 0.2% to 0.4% to the overall smoking rate.
Richard Sloggett, the report’s author and a former government advisor, stated, “These findings show that urgent work is needed to ensure that efforts to reduce youth vaping do not have the unintended consequence of increasing the numbers smoking – particularly amongst younger people.” He described the ban as a potential “missed opportunity” if users simply switch to other vape products without further support to quit nicotine entirely if desired.
Sloggett called on the government to launch a national mass media anti-smoking campaign and to clarify how it will use forthcoming regulatory powers under the Tobacco and Vapes Bill to prevent ex-smokers from relapsing. The report, commissioned by Kenvue (makers of Nicorette), also recommends using new powers to limit vape branding, packaging, displays, and flavor descriptions, alongside new targets for reducing youth vaping rates.
Steve Brine, former public health minister, who contributed a foreword, emphasized that smoking remains the leading preventable cause of illness and mortality. He urged the government to ensure disposable vape users are aware of the ban, the alternatives available, and the dangers of returning to smoking.
- Read more: Another research UK Disposable Vape Ban Will Drive 19% Vapers to Smoking
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