Everyone who vapes in uk issued june 1 deadline

The government is reminding people who live in the UK and regularly buy or sell vapes of an upcoming ban. Come June 1, 2025, which is just 11 days away, it will be illegal for businesses to

sell or supply, offer to sell or supply, or have in their possession for sale or supply all single-use or ‘disposable’ vapes. Starting June 1, 2025, the sale of single-use vapes will be

prohibited in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. This ban includes all vapes, regardless of nicotine content, but reusable vapes can still be sold. Single-use vapes are wasteful

and often end up as litter, harming our environment and communities. They contribute to pollution and can pose safety risks during waste disposal. This new regulation aims to reduce the

negative impact of disposable vapes to protect our resources and promote sustainability. When single-use vapes are discarded in black bins, they find their way to landfills or are burned,

resulting in the loss of valuable resources. They pose a fire hazard, endangering the safety of waste management personnel, firefighters, and the general public. To address this issue,

England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland will ban the sale and distribution of single-use vapes starting June 1, 2025. The government also aims to restrict vaping access for children,

as data indicates an increasing trend among those aged 11 to 15, likely due to their colourful packaging. NHS statistics from 2024 revealed that almost 25% of kids in this age group had

experimented with vaping, and nearly 10% were regular users. WHAT IS A SINGLE-USE VAPE? A single-use disposable vape is not meant to be reused. For a vape to qualify as reusable, it must be

both rechargeable and refillable. A vape is not classified as rechargeable if it has a battery that cannot be recharged or a coil that is difficult to replace or purchase separately. The

coil, powered by the battery, generates heat to vaporise the e-liquid. In the case of a reusable vape, you might have the option to easily remove and replace the coil or swap out the pod or

cartridge that houses it. A vape is deemed non-refillable if it uses a single-use container, like a pre-filled pod, that isn't available for separate purchase or replacement. This

container can be a capsule, cartridge, pod, tank, or any other type designed to hold the vaping liquid for use in the vape. It won't be against the law to have disposable vapes after

June 1, as long as you don't plan to sell or distribute them. After the ban comes into force, any remaining disposable vapes must be recycled. Customers can return any disposable vapes

or parts to the stores where they were purchased, and those stores are required to dispose of them responsibly. The government advises that they should only be thrown away in designated vape

bins for proper recycling. On top of the limitations on vaping devices already mentioned, reusable vapes will also need to comply with broader regulatory requirements. Vapes available for

sale must adhere to the applicable regulations, including: * the Classification, Labelling and Packaging of Chemicals Regulations (2015) * the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016

(TRPR) * waste regulations that apply to electrical equipment and batteries – this includes the Batteries and Accumulators (Placing on the Market) Regulations 2008 and related legislation

WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES FOR THOSE WHO KEEP SELLING AND SUPPLYING THEM? Various government bodies, such as the Border Force, have the authority to check stores for illegal vapes and can

report rule-breakers. The penalties differ a bit based on your location within the UK. Here's a brief overview of how it will be enforced in each region: IN ENGLAND On Gov.uk, a

statement say: "Local authority Trading Standards will lead on enforcing the ban within their area. If you suspect that someone is supplying single-use vapes, or if you have questions

about following the rules of the ban or how it’ll be enforced, contact your local Trading Standards service. "In the first instance, enforcement authorities will apply civil sanctions

(non-criminal penalties) such as a stop notice, compliance notice and fine of £200. Trading Standards will be able to seize any single-use vapes they find. "If you continue to supply,

offer to supply or have in your possession to supply single-use vapes, you may be charged with an unlimited fine, a prison sentence of up to two years, or both. You may also receive an

additional cost recovery notice, where you must pay the costs incurred by Trading Standards while investigating your offence. This includes investigative, administrative and legal

costs." IN WALES Gov.uk explains: "Local authorities in Wales will lead on enforcing the ban. If you suspect that someone is supplying single-use vapes, or if you have questions

about following the rules of the ban or how it’ll be enforced, contact your local authority or Trading Standards service." Enforcement authorities may apply civil sanctions such as: * a

fixed fine of £200 or a variable fine of more than £200 * an enforcement cost recovery notice * a non-compliance penalty * a stop notice It adds: "Alternatively, you could be tried in

a Magistrates’ or Crown Court. If you’re found guilty in a Magistrates’ Court of supplying, offering to supply or having in your possession to supply single-use vapes, or fail to follow a

stop notice, you may face an unlimited fine, a prison sentence of no more than six months, or both. "If you’re found guilty on conviction of one of these offences in a Crown Court, you

may face up to two years in prison, an unlimited fine, or both. If you’re found guilty in a Magistrates’ Court of obstructing an enforcement officer or failing to follow their requests, you

could face an unlimited fine." IN SCOTLAND In Scotland, local authorities will lead on enforcing the ban. Gov.uk says: "They’ll report criminal cases to the Crown Office and

Procurator Fiscal Service, who are responsible for prosecuting offences under the regulations. If you suspect that someone is supplying single-use vapes, or if you have questions about

following the rules of the ban or how it’ll be enforced, contact your local authority or Trading Standards service. "In the first instance, enforcement officers will have the option to

issue a fixed penalty notice as an alternative to criminal prosecution. In the case of a first offence, the fixed penalty amount is £200, which if paid within 14 days would be discounted to

£150." The maximum penalties for offences in Scotland are as follows. If you’re found guilty of supplying, offering to supply or having in your possession for supply a single-use vape,

you’ll be subject on: * summary conviction to a fine of up to level 5 (currently, £5,000) on the standard scale * conviction on indictment, up to 2 years in prison or a fine, or both The

statement continues: "If you fail to comply with an enforcement requirement without a reasonable excuse, you’ll be subject on summary conviction to a fine of up to level five

(currently, £5,000) on the standard scale. If you fail to provide your identification details or give false or inaccurate identification details to an enforcement officer who wishes to give

you a fixed penalty notice, you’ll be subject on summary conviction to a fine of up to level 3 (currently, £1,000) on the standard scale." IN NORTHERN IRELAND Gov.uk says: "The

enforcement mechanism in Northern Ireland will be different from that in other parts of the UK. There are no civil sanctions for this offence, and the following penalties will apply.

"If you’re found guilty of supplying, offering to supply or having in your possession to supply single-use vapes, you may receive a fine of up to £5,000 on summary conviction in a

Magistrates’ Court. On further conviction of this offence in a Crown Court, you may face a prison sentence of up to two years, a fine, or both. If you fail to provide information that an

enforcement body asks for, you may receive a fine on summary conviction of up to £5,000 in a Magistrates’ Court." RECYCLING VAPES Vapes are electrical items, whether they are single-use

or reusable, which means they are covered by the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations. If you sell vapes (described as being a ‘distributor’ in the regulations), you

must offer a ‘take back’ service where you accept vapes and vape parts (such as used pods, coils or batteries) that customers return for recycling. This includes any single-use vapes

returned by customers after the sale and supply ban has come into force on June 1. The Office for Product Safety and Standards may take action against you if you do not have a way to safely

recycle vapes and vape parts. Unsafe storage of vapes or improper disposal is a fire risk. Vapes should be disposed of in vape bins only and regularly collected for recycling. If you want to

know more about the ban, go to DEFRA’s guidance on the single-use vapes.