Time: 2023-07-17
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Local councils in England and Wales are urging the British government to ban the sale of disposable e-cigarettes by 2024 on environmental and health grounds, Reuters reported.
The Local Government Association of England and Wales (LGA), which represents local councils in England and Wales, said it was vital the ban came into force quickly. As the European Union plans to ban disposable e-cigarettes in 2026, and France will implement a ban in December this year, there is a risk of market closures leading to an influx of disposable e-cigarettes into the UK.
The LGA said 1.3 million disposable e-cigarettes are thrown away every week. They pose a threat to waste and rubbish collection and have caused fires in rubbish trucks; disposable e-cigarettes are designed in one piece, the battery cannot be separated from the plastic and are almost impossible to recycle without special treatment; local councils also Concerns have been raised about the impact of vaping on children and adolescents.
David Fothergill, Chairman of the LGA Community Wellbeing Committee, said:
"Single-use e-cigarettes are fundamentally flawed by design and are an unsustainable product, and a ban would be more effective than trying to recycle more e-cigarettes."
The UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) has defended disposable e-cigarettes.
The association's director-general, John Dunne, told BBC Radio on Saturday:
"Disposable e-cigarettes have been around for more than a decade and are an inexpensive and accessible product that can help smokers quit."
He said the vaping industry was working hard to reduce its environmental impact and warned that a ban could lead to more illegal products entering the UK.