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The UK government has decided to ban disposable vapes to tackle the rise in youth vaping and protect children's health, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced on Sunday (28 January 2024) during a visit to a school. Official figures revealed that the number of children using vapes has tripled in the past three years, with nine per cent of 11 - to 15-year-olds now affected by this rising trend. Disposable vapes are believed to be mainly driving the worrisome rise in youth vaping, with the number of 11- to 17-year-old vapers using disposables estimated to have increased by almost ninefold in the last two years. Sunak said: "As any parent or teacher knows, one of the most worrying trends at the moment is the rise in vaping among children, and so we must act before it becomes endemic. "The long-term impacts of vaping are unknown and the nicotine within them can be highly addictive, so while vaping can be a useful tool to help smokers quit, marketing vapes to children is not acceptable."

In response to the concerning surge in youth vaping, the UK government in January announced its decision to ban disposable vapes as a measure to safeguard the health of children. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak stated that while the long-term impacts of vaping were uncertain, the nicotine present in these products can be highly addictive. Therefore, he emphasised that "marketing vapes to children is not acceptable." Now, there's a stronger reason to crack down on vape sales as a new study has revealed that vaping or the use of e-cigarettes may increase the risk of developing heart failure. The study, which involved 175,000 adults in the United States, found that those who use e-cigarettes were 19 per cent more likely to develop heart failure over a four-year period. Dr Yakubu Bene-Alhasan, lead author of the study, from MedStar Health in Baltimore, underscored that an increasing number of studies are linking e-cigarettes with harmful effects, suggesting vaping "might not be as safe as previously thought." With further research, Dr Bene-Alhasan's team plans to uncover "a lot more about the potential health consequences and improve the information out to the public."

British pharmacy chain Superdrug has announced plans to cease the sale of disposable vapes in all its UK and Ireland stores, citing the environmental impact caused by its disposal and popularity among young people. The pharmacy retailer will discontinue selling brands like Vuse GO and Flavaah Bars, with plans to completely clear out existing stock by the end of the year, the company said in statement. Superdrug, which previously sold 1,300 single-use vapes weekly, expects a potential impact on revenue stemming from this decision. The company has not yet started selling vapes online. "This decision was made to safeguard the environment," the company said on Sept.22, highlighting the risk of fires due to improper disposal of vapes, as many of them contain lithium batteries.