According to kentlive, a local government body in Kent has decided to take formal action calling for a ban on single-use e-cigarettes.
Several lawmakers have called for a one-time ban
Critics of e-cigarettes say many feature fancy packaging and sweet fruit flavors designed to appeal to young people and children.
Jenni Hawkins, a member of the Green Party, has proposed a ban, saying the lithium used in single-use e-cigarette batteries should be recycled. These e-cigarettes are said to be unstable and prone to exploding and catching fire when squeezed. More than 700 garbage truck fires and fires at recycling centers have been linked to single-use e-cigarettes.
Councillor Hawkins said:
“Disposing of disposable e-cigarettes is also wasteful; Lithium is a key material needed for the green transition, and the amount of lithium in disposable e-cigarettes discarded each year is enough to power 1,200 electric vehicles.”
Clair Bell, cabinet member for public health, said she accepted e-cigarettes were a “relatively new thing” but believed a one-off ban could backfire.
David Fothergill, chairman of the Local Government Association’s general wellbeing committee, said:
“Single-use e-cigarettes are fundamentally flawed in design and are unsustainable, so rather than trying to recycle more e-cigarettes, a total ban would be more effective.”
According to the Local Government Association, local authorities have carried out investigations into e-cigarettes on the market whose designs and flavours may appeal to children. The Local Government Association added:
“Stringent new measures are needed to regulate the display and marketing of regular e-cigarette products similar to those for tobacco.”
In addition to Kent County, the UK’s Oxfordshire County Council has also recently expressed support for a ban on disposable electronic cigarettes. Ansaf Azhar, Oxfordshire’s director of public health, said the county council was calling on the government to introduce a one-off e-cigarette ban.
According to a BBC news report, data from market research company NielsenIQ shows that 300 million e-cigarettes (disposable and other types) were sold in the UK in the past year.
Industry associations have stressed the need for stronger recycling efforts
The e-cigarette industry believes the government should fine retailers who sell e-cigarettes to underage customers and earmark the proceeds.
The UK e-Cigarette Industry Association (UKVIA) believes that more emphasis should be placed on recycling and believes that e-cigarettes can be beneficial for people who want to quit smoking.
UKVIA Director General John Dunne said:
“Experience has shown that when a total ban is imposed on regulated single-use e-cigarettes, there is an influx of illegal, untested and potentially deadly black market products, which is not in anyone’s interest.”
References:
[1] Kent moves to formally ban the use of disposable vapes