Good morning. They seemed to come from nowhere: millions of multicoloured plastic contraptions, each producing a plume of sweet-smelling steam. Love them or loathe them, vapes are now an inescapable part of life in the UK – 5.4 million adults are now vaping daily or occasionally in Great Britain, according to ONS figures.
To advocates, vapes and e-cigarettes contribute a massive public health benefit by helping people to avoid the toxins and tar that come with tobacco smoking, a major cause of cancer and other health conditions. But detractors caution that they can be equally as addictive, with long-term health outcomes still being studied. Vapes have also been an environmental mess – with millions of single-use devices made from plastic and cheap lithium-ion batteries thrown into landfill.
In June last year, the government banned the sale of single-use vapes as part of efforts to stem the buildup of waste and litter – and curb vaping in young people. For today’s newsletter, I spoke with Sarah Marsh, the Guardian’s consumer affairs correspondent and a former vaper, about how the disposable vape ban is going. First, the headlines.
Five big stories
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Middle East | Iran has warned the US that it is prepared to confront any ground assault, accusing Washington of secretly planning a land attack while publicly seeking talks.
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Politics | Keir Starmer will launch Labour’s local elections campaign by saying that a vote for Reform UK will put at risk progress his government is making on the cost of living, arguing that Britain’s values are being tested in a volatile world.
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UK news | A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a car struck several pedestrians on one of Derby’s busiest streets.
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Religion | Pope Leo has said God ignores the prayers of leaders who wage war and have “hands full of blood”, in an apparent rebuke to the Trump administration.
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UK news | The NHS is set to miss key targets to shorten waiting times for help at A&E, cancer care and planned hospital treatment, leaving millions of patients facing persistently long delays.
In depth: ‘The behaviour of a lot of vapers has not really changed’
Counting Angela Rayner, Kate Moss and Tom Hardy in their number, there are now more vapers than smokers in the UK, according to official figures. Vape shops selling weird and wonderful flavours like sour apple, peppermint and cherry cola have become a fixture of the high street. But today, retailers are only permitted to sell rechargeable and refillable devices – or face an initial £200 fine and product seizures. Repeat offenders face an unlimited fine or even jail time, under the law that went into force last June. So, is the ban working?
On Friday, Sarah reported figures from the recycling campaign group Material Focus that found 6.3m vapes and pods are still being thrown away each week. While this represents nearly a quarter fall since the ban, suggesting it is having some impact, many waste companies say that the devices are still a major issue for them, with their batteries often the cause of fires in waste disposal centres. Disposable vapes are also still available on the hidden market.
“It is quite a small reduction, really,” says Sarah. “What we are hearing from Biffa and other waste companies is that they still have a massive problem with the waste, and that has not really changed. There are still fires and people still dump rechargeable vapes and the pods.”
“Remember, there were two goals: sorting out the environmental issues and curbing youth vaping. This data only really deals with one of those problems.”
While there is no specific data collection for lithium battery-related fires in England and Wales, companies said that fires were a daily problem at their facilities, causing hundreds of millions of pounds of damage and risking the safety of their staff. From their point of view the ban has not worked, says Sarah. Waste companies say that rechargeable vapes are still too cheap, look disposable, and there has not been enough effort on behaviour change.
“Back in the day when I was a vaper, I’d constantly lose my charging device. The disposable ones were just handy because they were cheap, you just whack them in your pocket and then you could just throw them away when you’re done. The behaviour of a lot of vapers has not really changed even with rechargeable vapes,” says Sarah.
A ban in isolation is ineffective
So, what to do? Waste companies would like to see much more effort around recycling, including a potential deposit reward scheme and changes to vape design and pricing that would make them less likely to be thrown away. Sarah says there is often poor awareness among vapers of the need to dispose of them in special waste bins, with others not realising that their device is actually even recyclable.
“If you introduce a ban like this but you don’t put the support in place to achieve your goals, like making it easy for people to recycle, the ban isn’t necessarily going to work. A ban in isolation is ineffective,” she says.
“France and Australia have taken similar measures in recent years. You could say it is too soon to evaluate some of the problems there but it’s already clear that it hasn’t eliminated the problem, it’s just created different issues. It seems like people are just dumping rechargeable vapes instead, and children are smoking more,” she says.
Behaviour change is not easy
The impact on children is more uncertain, says Sarah, amid rocketing rates of vaping among young people. In adults, vaping has been a useful tool to help active smokers. But in children, the World Health Organization warned in October that e-cigarettes were driving a new wave of nicotine use among children, who are nine times more likely than adults to vape. At least 15 million children vape worldwide, according to their figures.
The UK government is conducting a large-scale study on the impact of vaping on children, with a quarter of 11 to 15-year-olds having tried it. But there is not yet clear evidence on whether the disposable vape ban is having any impact on their use among young people.
“In short, disposables have driven the surge in youth vaping, and banning them should bring numbers down, but it won’t fix everything. Big tobacco companies are already set up to adapt fast and keep the next generation using nicotine. It won’t be easy,” says Sarah.
A UK government spokesperson said that single-use vapes had got kids hooked on nicotine and blighted the high street, with rogue traders not facing serious penalties. They said they were determined for more vapes to be recycled and all retailers must provide recycling bins.
What else we’ve been reading
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A sometimes harrowing read as Simon Hattenstone interviews a woman who escaped her controlling, cruel and sadistic mother who was bringing her up inside a twisted cult. Martin
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A fascinating article by neuroscientist Nobuko Nakano who argues that lucky people are running different neurological software to everyone else, and that this software can be installed. Katy Vans, newsletters team
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Moving abroad somewhere to be with the one you love sounds romantic and idyllic – unless you discover you don’t enjoy living in your new country. Elle Hunt speaks to people who faced exactly that issue. Martin
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Frances Ryan looks at the introduction of new assessments for the health element of universal credit which could deal another financial blow to disabled people. Katy
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Joe Bobowicz talks to people who are recovering from getting addicted to the deadly risks of a chemsex lifestyle. Martin
Sport
Football | Sjoeke Nüsken fired Chelsea back up to second place in the Women’s Super League with a dramatic late winner in a 4-3 victory over Aston Villa. Meanwhile West Ham and London City drew 1-1 and Leicester lost at home 0-1 to Brighton.
Formula One | Drivers have called for urgent action given their serious concern over the potential dangers now inherent in the sport after Oliver Bearman was involved in a huge accident at the Japanese Grand Prix.
Olympics | Caster Semenya, the South African two‑time Olympic 800m champion, says that the reinstatement by the IOC of sex verification tests for the 2028 Los Angeles Games was “a disrespect for women”.
The front pages
The Guardian leads with “‘Nothing left’: Parents tell of day US bombed Iran school”. The Times reports “PM to meet fuel bosses as fears grow over shortages”. The Financial Times has “Vulture funds say private credit woes offer ‘biggest opportunity since 2008’”. The Mirror has “Horror on the street”.
The i has “Brexit visas for under-30s at risk as EU talks reach deadlock”. The Telegraph reports “Labour to ration NHS referrals to hit targets.” The Sun looks at the failure of police to investigate burglaries, under the headline “Broken-in Britain”. Finally the Mail has “Betrayal of the strivers”.
Today in Focus
UK’s big, risky AI bet
Reporter Aisha Down explores the UK’s ‘phantom investments’ in AI, and the risk the government has taken in betting so heavily on the technology if it all goes bust.
Cartoon of the day | Tom Gauld
The Upside
A bit of good news to remind you that the world’s not all bad
When Mark, a pensioner, bought a secondhand car it began overheating, and several mechanics failed to diagnose the issue. After trying inexpensive fixes suggested on online forums, the likely culprit was the radiator, but the carmaker’s $1,200 (about £600) quote was unaffordable for him.
When Mark expressed his concern about buying a cheaper radiator that might not do the job online, a stranger from that forum unexpectedly offered to buy it for him. It worked perfectly, saving Mark from potential financial disaster and helping keep him mobile. A year on, the radiator still runs well, and the experience restored Mark’s faith in humanity and has made him more open to paying it forward himself.
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Bored at work?
And finally, the Guardian’s puzzles are here to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow.
