Disposable Vapes - The tide seems to be changing - Disposable Vape Ban ?

Dispsable vapes are causing us all sorts of problems - but is a ban the right thing ?

 I have done a few blog posts on disposable vapes over the last few years - and those of you who have read them are probably aware I am not their biggest fan, the reasons for which I have outlined elsewhere - but will give you a little reminder below after this intro.

It looks like the tide is turning in regards to the law and Disposable vapes with murmurings and whispers of an outright ban on single use disposable vapes as early as next week (current date : 13/09/23) - but is a ban the right thing to do? and if not - what controls can be put in place to lessen the impact of disposables and curb the disturbing trend of illegal Disposable Vapes with too high Nicotine content and more than the legal capacity being openly sold in high street shops and (witnessed with my own eyes) from tiny street stalls all over Skegness and Ingoldmells and I assume by extrapolation every other seaside town or tourist destination with a fun fair ?

My personal dislike of disposable vapes outline.

• The Environment - I think by now and after the weirdly unseasonable weather we have had in the UK this year - and the far more disastrous natural weather phenomenons across the globe - we really need to do what we can to mitigate pollution and waste, and a quick look at any city pavement or a read on some of the statistics (here : Material Focus Media Release) on just how many plastic Disposable Pens like Lost Mary, Elf Bar, Geek Bar etc are going to landfill - alongside all the lithium they contain tell us - that the marketing and sale of these things in the numbers currently seen is not sustainable and ecologically disastrous.
• Think Of The Children! - I personally hate the use of Children vaping as a weapon for the Anti Vape Brigade to hammer at our hobby / industry - as they have done repeatedly since the start of the industry and done so baselessly,  however it is not baseless any more, I've seen it myself and I'm sure most of you have as well - these things appeal to kids, regardless of age laws and illegality -unscrupulous shops and unscrupulous traders continue to supply those not of a legal age with Disposable Vapes and Disposable Pens - Often ones of dubious origin and illegal nicotine levels and legal volume exceeded. It looks awful on the rest of the industry, and while as I hear quoted often "Well they are going to try it anyway and I would rather they vaped than smoked" a phrase I do not personally entirely disagree with - I think i would rather if they are going to do it at all - and lets face it, kids experiment - I would rather they were round the back of the bike sheds with a proper compliant reusable POD system they have nicked off their dad and a compliant bottle of eliquid, than a dodgy 10ml 50mg Back of the lorry unknown origin Disposable.
• Perception and Optics - Our company like many around today have been around since the early days of this industry, and it has been a battle. It has been a battle merely to continue to exist, and provide what people wishing to quit smoking (as we did) and needing a helping hand along that route require. It has been a battle not just at a national level, but at an international level (and a lot of countries now have lost that battle) to merely do what we do, it has been a battle to legitimise the industry - and to be seen as anything other than a dangerous fad. During this battle there has always been traders wishing to push the envelope on what can be seen as acceptable - when CBD came in (something I take no issue with in and of itself) - there were always those wanting to advertise it via the use of enormous vinyl Cannabis leaves all over everything, at a time we were trying to look legit - this did us no favours in a country where the use of weed has always largely been frowned upon by the larger society (regardless of my personal opinions on the matter), while I can appreciate the sign of rebellion it represented, it did nothing for the look of the industry. But I tell you what - I will take that any day over the way Disposable Vapes are making the industry look these days. We are back in the papers - with scare piece after scare piece, its in parliament being discussed left right and centre - and you know for a fact - its being picked up by those that would see the end of vaping as a whole - the Antis -  and they will be making damn sure that Disposable Vapes are NOT being seperated from vaping as a whole in their mithering holier than thou bleetings. 

So readers - those are the reasons I do not like disposable vapes, and while I hate to say I told you so, back when these things first came out I did say both on here and on Planet Of The Vapes that it was fairly blatantly obvious where this was going to end up, not that i'm in any way gifted with far sight, its was just really really obvious.

So all that background out of the way - it's looking increasingly like Disposable vapes are going to be banned. If you believe what the media and the industry murmurings have to say as early as next week - possibly an outright ban on all single use Disposable Vapes (anyone else think a Ban on all single use plastic disposable items would have more of an impact? thereby not targeting our industry directly and enormously cutting out plastic waste in one go?)

To be honest I'm not sure how I feel about an outright ban on disposable vapes. I think an outright ban bought in that quickly from discussions behind closed doors sets a dangerous precedent for our industry - and probably for many other industries.

I do see the place that disposables have in the market - both as a first port of introduction for new swappers from smoking and for those perhaps going on a trip where taking vape gear is impractical - but I have always thought that that is where it should stop, they should not be the first thing punted to all and sundry on the front pages of websites or the forward counters of shops - and every encouragement should have been made long before now, to swap disposable users to proper reusable vape gear rather than keep fleecing them time and time again for what is actually a far far more expensive way to vape than traditional vape gear.

In essence - when used and sold correctly and with forethought and the needs of the end users and some thought about the impact on the environment and on the industry applied. - they could be a useful tool in the arsenal those of us who have made the break from cigarettes.

However it looks like corporate greed, bandwagon jumping and the ease of unscrupulous traders selling these items is going to put paid to that tool. We can only hope it stops there.

Do not get me wrong I will loose not an ounce of sleep if disposables do get banned - but the repercussions of how that ban is implemented worries me greatly.

So what about those of you reading or who come across this article who are disposable vape users? either lapsed traditionalist vapers or have known nothing else? My advice to you is this - find an Alternative to Disposable Vapes, go out find a POD System or MOD device you can live with - find some juice you like - I mean there are literally thousands of juices around now designed to mimic disposable vapes, or try some new juices - you never know - you may get opened up to the far more fascinating world of craft e-liquids - and move away from your mango ice!

If you find the swap really hard - names you are familiar with - such as Elf Bar now do rechargeable Disposable vapes - not ideal but being able to recharge and use a few times is a saving from just straight discarding after a few hours, they are also bringing out closed systems now, with rechargeable devices and pre filled PODS - all of these options are better than. disposable vape - though some are better than others - now is the time to swap, and become part of the solution to what has been a pretty rough knock to the vape scene. Elf Bar also make the Nic Salt e-liquids they use in their disposables available as 10ml bottles for use in any system - so there really is no longer an excuse! Many UK Vendors Stock great Disposable Vape Alternatives, and If you are in the US - check out ProVape online shop.

To help you in your journey : 

Disposable Vape Alternatives 

Elfliq - The E-liquids from the Elf Bar disposables.

Bar Salts - Nicotine Salt E-liquid mimicking Disposable Vape flavours

Bar Juice 5000

Crystal Bar Juice by SKE - from the Crystal Bar Disposables

Elfliq - From the Famous Elf Bar Disposables

Elux Legend - Juices from the Elux Disposable Rangee

Riot Squad 

Vampire Vape Bar Salts - From the Vampire Vape Range Of Disposable Bars.

Previous Articles on Disposable Vapes 

Disposable Vapes and Why We Say No - published May 20th 2022

Disposable Vape Alternatives, Its Time To Switch It Up - published June 1st 2022

Hopefully this can help you on your way to making your own decision about switching it up from Disposable Vapes to a more ethical and sustainable alternative.