The popularity of disposable e-cigarettes or vapes has fallen ahead of a UK-wide ban on their sale on 1 June, a study has found.Researchers believe vape users are switching to refillable and rechargeable vapes in anticipation of the ban.The percentage of people aged 16-24 who mainly use disposable vapes has dropped by nearly half in the last year from 63% to 35%, according to University College London (UCL) research.Overall vaping use stalled between January 2024 and 2025 in all adults over 16, after several years of significant growth.The UK government ban on disposable and single-use vapes is aimed at stopping littering as, in most cases, the vapes cannot be recycled and often end up in landfill or pollute natural environments. The ban is also aimed at tackling rising rates of youth vaping and protecting children from harm.The UCL study looked at survey data on vaping habits in England, Wales and Scotland both before and after the ban was announced.The study used data from the Smoking Toolkit Study, which collected data on 88,611 people aged 16 and over.Before the ban, between January 2022 and January 2024, vaping among those aged 16 and over went up from 8.9% to 13.5%.In young adults aged 16-24, usage increased more sharply, from 17% to 26.5%.After the ban was announced, researchers found a decline in the number of vapers mainly using disposable e-cigarettes – in all age groups and particularly among 16-24 year olds.The study only asked vape users about their main choice of device.Dr Sarah Jackson, who works for the UCL Tobacco and Alcohol Research Group and is the lead author of the survey …
