Northern Ireland joins UK-wide single-use vape ban: A win for health and nature from 1 June 2025

A landmark ban on single-use vapes has come into effect today across the United Kingdom, marking a pivotal moment in the nation’s efforts to create a smokefree generation, tackle the alarming rise in youth vaping, and mitigate environmental damage.

The legislation, enforced concurrently in Northern Ireland, England, Scotland, and Wales, prohibits the sale and supply of disposable vaping products, aiming to safeguard public health, conserve valuable resources, and protect biodiversity.

The ban follows a UK-wide consultation, Creating a Smokefree Generation and Tackling Youth Vaping, launched on 12 October 2023, which garnered nearly 28,000 responses. The consultation revealed overwhelming public support, particularly in Northern Ireland, where 90.4% of individual respondents agreed with restrictions on single-use vapes, and 84.9% supported a complete ban on their sale and supply.

This robust public backing has shaped the legislation, which is part of the broader strategy outlined in the Department of Health and Social Care’s (DHSC) command paper, Stopping the Start: Our New Plan to Create a Smokefree Generation, published on 4 October 2023.

Environmental Imperative: Reducing Waste and Harm

The environmental impact of disposable vapes has been a key driver of the ban. An estimated five million single-use vapes are discarded weekly across the UK, often ending up in landfills or as litter, releasing harmful substances such as lead, mercury, nicotine salts, and flammable lithium-ion batteries into the environment.

These devices, containing plastic, copper, rubber, and lithium batteries, pose significant risks to waterways, soil, and wildlife, while their improper disposal in general waste streams increases fire hazards at waste-processing facilities.

DAERA Minister Andrew Muir underscored the environmental benefits, stating:

“Single use vape waste can have a significant negative impact on our environment and biodiversity and I welcome this ban which will benefit our environment as well as our general health and well-being.”

He added: “My Department as well as counterparts in the UK Government, Scotland and Wales have worked together to introduce this ban concurrently, to provide a consistent approach across the UK for businesses as well as customers.”

To address these concerns, the legislation mandates that vaping products must now be refillable and rechargeable, ensuring that valuable resources like cobalt, copper, and lithium are not wasted in single-use devices.

Minister Muir urged responsible disposal, advising, “If you do use vapes, I would encourage you to now make it a habit not to discard the devices and dispose of any broken or expired vapes responsibly by taking them to your local shop.”

Retailers are now required to provide in-store waste vape bins to facilitate proper recycling of remaining disposable vapes, aligning with efforts to reform the producer responsibility system for waste electrical and electronic equipment, as outlined in a recent Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs consultation.

Public Health Crisis: Addressing Youth Vaping

The ban also targets the alarming rise in youth vaping, which has become a pressing public health concern.

According to the Public Health Agency (PHA) in Northern Ireland, 46% of Year 14 school pupils surveyed currently vape, despite existing laws prohibiting the sale or supply of vapes to those under 18.

The Creating a Smokefree Generation and Tackling Youth Vaping consultation highlighted that the low cost and accessibility of disposable vapes have fuelled their popularity among young people, with 81% of 11- to 17-year-olds who vape using nicotine-containing devices, as reported by Action on Smoking and Health (ASH).

Colette Rogers, Strategic Lead for Tobacco Control at the PHA, emphasised the opportunity presented by the ban, stating:

“The accessibility and low price of single use vapes have played a part in increasing their availability and shareability among young people, so the ban on these types of devices is an opportunity to address the concerning levels of vaping among teenagers.”

She added: “The new law means that products will only be compliant if they are refillable and rechargeable. We welcome this and hope it reduces the number of vapes in active use, and are asking parents and carers to use it as an opportunity to discourage vaping among young people and take steps to stop vapes from falling into the hands of under-18s.”

The consultation revealed that vaping among 11- to 17-year-olds in Great Britain has tripled over the past three years, with 20.5% having tried vaping in 2023. In Northern Ireland, the Young Persons’ Behaviour and Attitudes Survey 2022 found that 21% of 11- to 16-year-olds had used a vape.

The addictive nature of nicotine, coupled with the appeal of brightly coloured packaging and sweet or fruit-flavoured vapes, has driven this surge.

Rogers highlighted the risks, noting, “The rise of vaping among young people has become a pressing public health concern. E-cigarettes, or ‘vapes’, are extremely addictive and young people are particularly vulnerable.”

To further protect young people, the legislation extends restrictions to non-nicotine vapes and other consumer nicotine products, such as nicotine pouches, with 52.9% of consultation respondents supporting their regulation under a similar framework as nicotine vapes.

This includes age-of-sale restrictions for those 18 and over, bans on proxy purchases, and prohibitions on free distribution, closing potential loopholes that could undermine efforts to reduce youth vaping.

Broader Measures for a Smokefree Generation

The single-use vape ban is part of a comprehensive strategy to create the UK’s first smokefree generation, addressing the significant health and economic burdens of tobacco use.

Smoking remains the single most preventable cause of ill health, disability, and death in the UK, responsible for 80,000 deaths annually and costing the economy £17 billion each year in England alone.

The consultation showed strong support for raising the age of sale for tobacco products, with 63.2% of respondents agreeing that anyone born on or after 1 January 2009 should never be legally sold tobacco products.

This measure, alongside prohibitions on proxy sales and updated warning notices in retail premises, aims to prevent young people from starting to smoke.

The UK Government is also introducing powers to restrict vape flavours, point-of-sale displays, and packaging to reduce their appeal to children. The consultation found that 46.1% of respondents favoured standardised packaging for vapes, prohibiting all imagery, colouring, and branding, while 68.3% supported keeping vapes behind counters and out of display, similar to tobacco products.

These measures aim to balance the role of vapes as a smoking cessation tool for adults—acknowledged as less harmful than smoking in the short and medium term—with the need to protect young people from nicotine addiction.

Rogers reinforced the importance of enforcement, stating:

“It is illegal to sell a vape to someone who is under 18 and we would like to remind parents that it is illegal to buy or supply children with vapes. We want to encourage and support families to have open and engaging conversations with young people to steer them away from these products.”

Retailer Responsibilities and Enforcement

Retailers have been given a six-month transition period to sell existing stock and comply with the new regulations.

From today, businesses must demonstrate that vaping devices are reusable, with non-compliance carrying severe penalties, including up to two years’ imprisonment and a fine upon indictment.

Minister Muir advised:

“Retailers must be aware of their legal responsibilities in disposing of any old stock and should offer a waste vape bin in-store for customers to recycle any remaining disposable vapes.”

To strengthen enforcement, the UK Government will introduce £100 fixed penalty notices (FPNs) in England and Wales for breaches of age-of-sale and free distribution laws for tobacco, vapes, and other nicotine products, with 88.3% of consultation respondents supporting this measure.

This aligns with existing penalties, such as the £90 FPN for underage alcohol sales, and complements powers allowing local authorities to impose fines of up to £2,500 or apply for court orders against persistent offenders.

The government has committed £30 million annually to bolster enforcement agencies, including local trading standards and HM Revenue and Customs, to tackle illicit sales and ensure compliance.

A Unified UK Approach with Global Context

The simultaneous implementation across all four UK nations reflects a commitment to regulatory alignment, despite health being a devolved matter.

The consultation emphasised collaboration to ensure consistency for businesses and consumers, with Northern Ireland officials considering further legislation to align with smokefree goals.

The UK’s approach mirrors global efforts to curb youth vaping, with countries like Australia, New Zealand, and several EU nations implementing restrictions on vape flavours, packaging, and sales, as detailed in the consultation’s international comparison.

Rogers celebrated the ban’s broader implications, stating:

“We are pleased to see this ban come into force, which is a positive development in helping to protect public health. We are now another step closer in achieving our goal of having a smoke free generation, as well as helping to reduce the environmental impact of discarded single use vapes.”

Next Steps and Public Guidance

The UK Government is exploring additional measures, such as a new duty to reduce vape affordability, to further deter youth vaping while preserving their role as a quitting aid.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is also developing digital identity services to enhance online age verification, preventing underage purchases of tobacco and vapes.

For more information on the ban, vaping regulations, and resources for parents, visit www.pha.site/vaping or the UK Government’s consultation response at gov.uk. Retailers and consumers are encouraged to stay informed and comply with the new regulations to support a healthier, more sustainable future.