The UK will ban disposable e-cigarettes.

(CLO) To combat environmental pollution and the alarming increase in the number of children using e-cigarettes, the British government has decided to completely ban the sale of this product from June next year.

Over the past decade, e-cigarette use has grown rapidly in the UK, with nearly 10% of the population purchasing and using these products.

Proponents argue that e-cigarettes can be an effective tool to help traditional smokers quit, but health authorities worry that their colorful designs and fruity flavors could easily appeal to children and teenagers.

Illustration photo: Reuters

According to a 2024 survey by the health charity ASH, one in five children aged 11 to 17 have tried e-cigarettes. Selling nicotine-containing e-cigarettes to children under 18 is illegal in the UK.

In January, the UK government introduced a series of strict anti-smoking measures, including banning disposable e-cigarettes and preventing children under 15 from accessing tobacco.

British Health Secretary Andrew Gwynne has stressed that banning disposable e-cigarettes would not only help protect the environment but also reduce the product's appeal to children, protecting them from addiction and health harm.

On average, in 2023, approximately 5 million disposable e-cigarettes were carelessly discarded each week, leading to serious environmental pollution. They were then either sent to landfills or burned, posing a fire hazard due to their lithium-ion batteries.

The ASH organization has urged lawmakers to carefully consider the regulations in the Tobacco and E-cigarette Bill, to ensure that e-cigarettes remain an effective tool for those wishing to quit traditional cigarettes.

Ha Trang (according to Reuters)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/vuong-quoc-anh-se-cam-thuoc-la-dien-tu-dung-mot-lan-post318356.html