One-third of adults who vape (34%) are continuing to use disposable vapes, exactly a year after they became illegal in the UK, a new poll has revealed.
Almost three-quarters of adults (72%) say they still regularly see disposable vapes being used by adults and more than 60% say they have seen children using such illegal vapes.
The survey by Merlin Strategies—and commissioned by PML—comes a year after the nationwide ban on the sale and supply of single-use vapes came into force on 1 June 2025. It raises questions over the lack of enforcement of the legislation, which was designed to tackle youth vaping and environmental waste.
The ban made it illegal for retailers to sell, supply or stock single-use vapes, with breaches carrying penalties, fines and even imprisonment. However, nearly 3-in-5 people surveyed consider the ban not to have been effective, and more than half of respondents (57%) said they were entirely unaware of the ban.
Disposable vapes are widely available through the illicit market, but also legally, as so-called loophole vapes. Although such products are technically compliant with the law, in practice they are meant to be used as disposable devices. The most common examples meet requirements for USB ports for recharging and reuse – yet the ports are either inoperable, or pod refills for the products are not available for sale. Nearly three-quarters of those surveyed (72%) said they support further regulation to ensure greater differentiation between disposable and reusable products.
Peter Nixon, Managing Director Philip Morris Limited (UK and Ireland), said: “The government’s ban has been a complete failure. If the UK is serious about getting rid of illegal vapes, then the government needs to stop dragging its feet and support the ban by quickly introducing a watertight licensing scheme and a tough, properly-funded enforcement regime.”
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