UK unveils plan to ban disposable e-cigarettes

The UK will introduce legislation to ban disposable e-cigarettes in order to tackle a rise in youth vaping, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced on Monday. The government cited recent figures showing the proportion of vapers under the age of 18 who use disposables has increased almost ninefold in the last two years.

Sunak's government also plans to introduce fines for shops in England and Wales that sell vapes illegally to children. Sunak proposed plans to eventually make the UK a smoke-free nation last year. At present, the purchase age for tobacco products in England and Wales is 18.