A year after the United Kingdom banned disposable vapes, the policy appears to be falling short, with a sizeable black market emerging in its place. Single-use devices are still widely available despite the prohibition, raising questions about how effective the measure has really been. What was meant to take the throwaway products off the market has instead pushed much of the trade underground.
The ban made it illegal for businesses to sell or supply single-use vapes. It was introduced in large part because of concerns about young people taking up vaping, an issue that had become a growing worry for authorities. The rule was intended to remove the cheap, disposable devices from shelves in shops across the country.
There was also an environmental dimension to the decision. An estimated five million disposable vapes were being thrown away, creating a significant waste problem. Taking them out of legal sale was seen as one way to cut down on that mounting pile of discarded plastic, electronics and batteries.
A year on, however, the devices have not disappeared. Illegal versions are still being sold openly in corner shops and on market stalls, with reports suggesting that more than a third of vape users have simply continued to buy them. In practice, many of the single-use products remain easy to find, often kept behind the counter.
Enforcement of the ban falls to trading standards officers, but their capacity to police it is limited. Their funding has been described as meagre, and the teams are stretched thin across each region, which makes it difficult to keep pace with the scale of the illegal trade. The government has announced additional money for trading standards, though there are doubts about whether it will be enough.
The situation underlines how hard the ban has been to enforce in practice. Despite single-use vapes being illegal for a year, they remain openly on sale in many outlets, and a large share of users have carried on much as before. Unless enforcement is strengthened, the gap between the law on paper and the reality in shops looks set to persist.