Sale & Supply Legislation Published
A ban on the sale and supply of single-use vapes in Scotland is due to come into effect on 1 April 2025, under proposed legislation published today. Regulations will be introduced to the Scottish Parliament before the summer.
The move takes forward the recommendation to ban single use vapes from a consultation on āCreating a Smokefree Generation and Tackling Youth Vapingā, which ran across Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland last year.
The draft legislation, which is open for consultation until 8 March 2024., is being taken forward in Scotland using powers under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. This approach has been used in the past to ban other items such as microbeads, cotton buds and single use plastics.
Zero Waste Scotland estimates that up to 26 million disposable vapes were consumed and thrown away in Scotland in the last year, with 10 per cent being littered and more than half disposed of incorrectly.
With millions of vapes littered every year, there is a significant and increasing cost to local authorities through litter clear up and waste management. And where vapes are incorrectly disposed of, the batteries increase risk of fires at waste centres and on collection vehicles that can damage equipment paid for by the taxpayer or even be a risk to personal safety.
The Scottish Government will continue to work with the UK Government and other nations in relation to the ban on disposable vapes, including addressing the need for any exclusion from the UK Internal Market Act through the Resources and Waste Common Framework.
While separate legislation on banning the sale and supply of single use vapes will need to be introduced by each nation, the governments have worked together to agree on a date for when the ban will come into force, to provide certainty for businesses and consumers.
Background
Legislation raising the tobacco age of sale, will initially be taken forward via UK-wide legislation and requires a Legislative Consent Motion (LCM).