Debunked: Are disposable vapes actually going to be banned in the UK from next week?

You better get bulk buying your blueberry Elf Bars because disposable vapes, including Elf Bars and Lost Marys, could be banned in the UK next week.

It has been reported that the ban could come as early as next week after government health ministers decided that the vapes are marketed towards people under the age of 18.

This means that all disposable vapes could be unavailable to buy from UK shops.

A government insider told The Telegraph: “Disposable vapes are almost entirely aimed at kids and they are environmentally damaging. There is a wide consensus emerging on the need to act.”

But what does this actually mean for you? Are Elf Bars banned? Will you really not be able to buy vapes in the shops from next week?

Well, The Telegraph reported that the vape ban could be put in place from next week. This will be revealed in a consultation issued by the Department of Health and Social Care, although timings may alter.

The ban would apply in England, with other policies having to be set in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

However, it is likely that the ban won’t actually be physically in place from next week since a law change is most likely needed to enforce the ban and this might not be possible before the UK’s next general election in the autumn of next year.

This means your vape habit is most likely going to be safe for Freshers’ Week this year at least.

Unlike Australia, the government is understood to have decided not to go a step further and copy Australia which has banned all vaping without a prescription, because they have accepted the benefits of vapes to help quit smoking.

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This means, if the ban does go ahead, getting prescribed a vape to help you quit smoking could be a sneaky loophole you’ll be able to take advantage of if you do want to continue vaping.

Last year, The Tab reported that over a quarter of university students said they were addicted to Elf Bars. The survey also found that more than half of students (53 per cent) had used an Elf Bar since the start of the academic year.

Speaking on Sky News this morning, science minister Michelle Donelan did not confirm a ban but said the government would be making “further announcements on this”. She said: “We have been looking into this and doing a review because this is a very worrying trend that we’re seeing.”

Professor Chris Whitty, England’s chief medical officer, said: “If you smoke, vaping is much safer. If you don’t smoke, don’t vape, and marketing to children is utterly unacceptable.”

Related stories recommended by this writer:

• It’s finally been revealed who smoked and vaped whilst in the Love Island 2023 villa

• 18,000 of you took part, these are the UK unis that are most hooked on Elf Bars

• ‘I didn’t even smoke beforehand’: How Elf Bars took over uni campuses across the country