Northern Ireland announces ban on disposable vapes

Northern Ireland is set to ban the sale and supply of single use vapes by April 2025

Environment minister Andrew Muir has on Thursday announced his intention to prohibit the sale and supply of disposable vapes in Northern Ireland, in parallel with the rest of the UK.

The NI government said the move recognises the strong support from the Northern Ireland public for a ban on disposable vapes in response to the UK wide consultation on ‘Creating a Smokefree Generation and Tackling Youth Vaping’.

“I have listened to concerns over the environmental impact of single use vapes and I’m delighted to announce that my department is taking action to progress a ban on the sale and supply of single use vapes in Northern Ireland,” Muir said.

“The environmental damage created by the alarming rise in the littering and incorrect disposal of used vapes is a key concern. It’s estimated that as many as five million single use vapes are simply thrown away in residual bins or littered every week across the UK, rather than being recycled. Single use vape waste introduces plastic, nicotine salts, metals and lithium-ion batteries into the environment and can have a devastating impact on our environment and biodiversity.”

A single use vapes working group has been formed between Northern Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales. Under current plans, each nation will progress its own legislation and have agreed to work towards a joint coming into force date of 1 April 2025.

“Whilst timelines are extremely ambitious, my department is working at pace to progress this piece of work,” Muir added.

“I also welcome the collaborative engagement between government officials across the UK to address single use vape issues. Alignment of approaches will deliver shared health and environmental benefits and will help provide clarity for businesses which are currently selling single use vaping products.”