Vape use sees sharp drop - but campaigners issue this warning after first year of ban

There has been a sharp decline in the use of vapes in the UK a year on from the government ban on single-use devices - but campaigners have warned that millions are still being binned.

Just 13% of 11-17-year-olds who vape say they mainly use disposable products, down from 42% in 2025 before the ban, and much lower than the peak of 69% recorded in 2023, YouGov survey data shows.

Among adults who vape, use of disposable products has also dropped significantly. In 2026, 8% of adults who vape say they mainly use disposables, compared with 24% in 2025 and a peak of 31% in 2023.

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The findings suggest the ban has helped to reduce the popularity and availability of disposable vapes, particularly among young people.

But councils and campaigners have warned that millions of vapes are still being binned a year after the ban on single-use devices - with concerns that recycling points aren't clearly accessible.

Separate research conducted by campaign group Material Focus shows 6.3 million vapes and pods were still discarded each week in the last year, down from 8.2 million in 2024.

The survey of 1,000 adults who recently bought vapes found that 47% were unaware they could be recycled.

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The poll also suggested that 43% of those who attempted to recycle vapes at supermarkets were unable to find a collection point, while 63% were unable to at local convenience stores, and 33% couldn't find the collection points at specialist vape retailers.

The government ban, which came into force on 1 June 2025, aims to protect the environment and curb use among children by reducing the use of single-use products.

Hazel Cheeseman, chief executive at Action on Smoking and Health, said the sharp decline in disposable vape use is "encouraging" but noted that "further action is still needed to address how vapes are marketed to appeal to children".

"Government must now use the powers in the Tobacco and Vapes Act to restrict the marketing tricks - like packaging and enticing flavour names - that make vapes appealing to children," Ms Cheeseman said.

There had been concerns that the disposable vapes ban could lead some adults to return to smoking.

While 70% of people who vaped using mainly disposables just ahead of the ban reported that the change in law had no effect on their smoking, 13% reported that it led to an increase in smoking.

Responding to the findings, Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds said: "We have taken decisive action to tackle the harm caused by disposable vapes by banning single-use products, mandating takeback schemes, and backing enforcement where the rules are not being followed.

"The results speak for themselves, fewer young people are using disposable vapes and we are turning the tide on a throwaway culture that damages our environment."

But Wendy Taylor, the Local Government Association's health and well-being committee chairwoman, pointed out that a year on "industry has moved faster than regulation", as she noted that "the products causing fires in our bin lorries today are effectively the same disposables in a different shell".

Ms Taylor added: "Year two must focus on enforcement, producer responsibility, and closing this industry loophole to keep rechargeable vapes out of our waste system, preventing further fires and reducing unnecessary local resource drain."

(c) Sky News 2026: Vape use sees sharp drop - but campaigners issue this warning after first year of ban