The sale of disposable vapes will be banned in England and Wales from next year. Under legislation laid out by the Labour government in Parliament, it will be illegal for retailers to sell the devices from 1 June, 2025. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said businesses will have until the deadline “to sell any remaining stock they hold and prepare for the ban coming into force”.
Defra said vape usage in England had grown by more than 400 per cent between 2012 and 2023, with 9.1 per cent of the British public now buying and using the products. Recent figures also revealed that the number of young people who said they vaped had tripled over the past three years .
Health minister Andrew Gwynne said: “It is deeply worrying that a quarter of 11 to 15-year-olds used a vape last year. “We know disposables are the product of choice for the majority of kids vaping today. Banning them will keep them out of the hands of vulnerable young people.
” The ban will come before a new tax on vaping products. From April 2026, the levy is set to take effect after the Conservatives put forward the measure in March. This will introduce a levy of £1-3 per 10ml of vape liquid, increasing depending on nicotine levels.
This could cost the average vape user around £72.80 a year, an analysis by The Independent found , with an average £4 bottle of E-liquid rising to £5.40.
It has been reported that Rachel Reeves is considering raising the tax further as part of her Budget.