30% of Edinburgh vapers still purchased disposable vapes since UK ban
The ban has resulted in some reduced demand for vapes
One year on from the UK’s disposable vape ban, new survey data from Haypp, a leading global retailer of alternative nicotine products, suggests the ban has not worked as intended and has instead pushed some vapers towards illicit products or a return to smoking.
The survey of 1,000 vape users reveals the downsides of the landmark ban. Alarmingly, 35% of survey respondents say they purchased a disposable vape since the ban was introduced, indicating an active black market for the product.
The main sources for the purchase of illicit disposable vapes are:
Corner shops/convenience stores (51%)
Car boot sales/market stalls (35%)
Independent vape shops (28%)
Friends or family members (28%)
The ban has resulted in some reduced demand for vapes, with 61% of respondents saying they have reduced how much they vape and 8% saying they quit vaping altogether. However, the data highlights a worrying shift in consumer behaviour. For those who have quit or reduced how much they vape, they say they have replaced disposable vapes with:
Traditional cigarettes (41%)
Nicotine pouches or snus (44%)
Refillable vapes (17%)
Chewing tobacco (12%)
Dr Marina Murphy, Senior Director of Scientific Affairs at Haypp, said: “Our data shows the ban has had unintended negative consequences. By introducing a blanket ban, the government has inadvertently fuelled the black market and, most concerningly, pushed 41% of those who have reduced their vaping to cigarettes. While it is positive to see 44% moving to tobacco-free alternatives such as nicotine pouches, we must acknowledge that the negative outcomes from the ban far outweigh the positive. As the government begins to implement the Tobacco and Vapes Act, the lesson from the disposable vapes ban is that blanket bans do not work.”
The data highlighted the cities where purchase levels of disposable vapes remain high. Several UK cities had almost half of respondents saying they purchased disposable vapes after the ban:
Sheffield 50%
Newcastle 48%
Southampton 48%
London 46%
Manchester 38%
Leeds 33%
Bristol 31%
Edinburgh 30%
Birmingham 28%
Glasgow 28%
Nottingham 27%
Norwich 25%
Cardiff 16%
Belfast 12%
Liverpool 7%