The UK will ban the sale of disposable vapes on June 1st. However, a survey shows that 82% of disposable vape users plan to stock up before the ban takes effect, while 34% of respondents said they would consider purchasing illegal disposable vapes.
Key points:
- 1.82% of users plan to stock up on disposable vapes before the ban, among which 37% plan to stockpile for three months and 28% plan to stockpile for more than six months.
- The ban may promote the development of the illegal market. 34% of the respondents said they would consider purchasing illegal disposable vapes.
- The public generally opposes the ban. 78% of existing users explicitly oppose the sales ban policy, and 77% believe that the government has no right to forcibly prohibit such products.
- Experts warn that the policy may backfire. In the absence of alternative solutions, users may turn to cigarettes or illegal products. Meanwhile, large-scale hoarding brings safety hazards to lithium batteries, which may cause fires or explosions.
According to The Sun, the UK will ban the sale of disposable vapes on June 1st. However, according to the latest research by the nicotine product e-commerce platform Haypp, 82% of disposable vape users plan to stock up before the ban takes effect, 37% plan to purchase three months ‘worth of cigarettes, and 28% admit that they will buy enough vapes for more than six months.
In addition, more than one-third (34%) of the respondents said they would consider purchasing illegal disposable vapes after the ban was implemented. The age groups of 18-24 years old (39%) and over 55 years old (40%) showed the greatest interest. Furthermore, 78% of the existing users of disposable vapes oppose the ban, and 77% believe that the government has no authority to enforce the ban on such products.
Dr Marina Murphy, the director of scientific affairs at Haypp, said:
- “In the absence of clear alternative guidance, the upcoming ban may backfire, causing users to hoard devices or switch to cigarettes.”
There are also huge security risks hidden behind hoarding behavior. Professor Paul Christensen, an expert in lithium-ion battery safety, reminds users that sealed lithium-ion batteries can become unstable when exposed to heat, moisture, or physical damage, especially when stored in large quantities. These factors may lead to thermal runaway phenomena, which in turn can cause fires, release toxic gases and even explosions.
