A nationwide shift is underway as Britain’s looming disposable vape ban halts the upward trend in e-cigarette use. This behavioral pivot, captured in a large-scale population study, shows how policy signals alone can reshape health choices across generations.
Study: Changes in vaping trends since the announcement of an impending ban on disposable vapes: A population study in Great Britain. Image Credit: PavelKant / Shutterstock.com
In a recent study published in the journal Addiction, researchers report that previously rising rates of vaping began to decline following the British government's announcement of new vaping policies in January 2024. Both adult and young adult vapers are increasingly replacing their previously disposable vapes with devices that can be refilled and recharged.
A surge in vaping among youths in Great Britain
Since 2021, vaping or e-cigarette use by minors has significantly increased in Great Britain. The widespread availability of new disposable vapes, which are cheap, colorful, easy to use, have sleek designs, and can be discarded after the e-liquid or battery runs out, largely contributed to increased vaping among adolescents.
The rapid rise in vape use and its adverse effects on both human health and the environment underline the need for federal restrictions on disposable vapes. In 2024, the British government announced that disposable vapes would be banned in the United Kingdom starting June 1, 2025, as part of initiatives to mitigate the rise in youth vaping and protect children's health. Soon thereafter, the Scottish and Welsh governments also confirmed their intention to implement the same ban on disposable vapes.
In response to this ban, e-cigarette manufacturers began selling reusable versions of their popular disposable models. These newly manufactured rechargeable or refillable vaping products have rapidly gained popularity among the youth. There is a possibility that some disposable vape users have transitioned to reusable devices.
As federal regulations are being increasingly implemented in nations worldwide, it is essential for policymakers to understand the impact of these strategies.
About the study
The researchers of the current study identified any changes in e-cigarette use between January 2022 and January 2025. All relevant data were collected from the Smoking Toolkit Study, which is an ongoing cross-sectional survey of a representative sample of youth in Great Britain.
Vaping status was determined based on questions in which the participants were asked about their current smoking status, if they had quit or reduced smoking, and what factors contributed to their decision to stop smoking. Study participants were also asked about the type of e-cigarette or vaping device they used.
Study findings
A total of 88,611 study participants were considered between January 2022 and January 2025. The mean age of the participants was 48.1 years, with 50.6% of them being women.
A total of 9,276 study participants were between 16 and 24 years of age. Approximately 4.8% of the survey respondents failed to specify their vaping device type and were excluded from the final analysis.
From January 2022 onwards, the prevalence of vaping increased by 23.4% and 17% each year among adults and young adults, respectively. Moreover, the number of vape users who primarily used disposable devices increased by 17.7% every year among adults, with the prevalence of these users remaining stable among young adult vapers.
After January 2024, a significant change in current vaping prevalence was observed, as vaping rates were unchanged in both adults and young adults. A sharp decline in the use of disposable vapes by 32.6% and 44.3% each year was also reported among adult and young adult vapers, respectively.
Instead of increasing, vaping prevalence stabilized and there was a substantial decline in the proportion of vapers mainly using disposables.”
Assuming that the current trend remains constant, the researchers estimated that 24.9% of adult vapers and 27.6% of young adult vapers would completely transition to disposable vapes by June 2025.
Conclusions
Since the British government announced its intention to ban disposable vapes in January 2024, more people have begun using reusable vaping devices instead of disposable vapes. Thus, although strict policy options under the Tobacco and Vapes Bill may not necessarily lead to complete vaping cessation, some restrictions may be needed to further reduce already declining vaping rates.
While vapers shifiting away from disposable products is likely to have a positive impact onr educing environmental harms, it does not mean that a ban on disposable vapes is unlikely to have a large impact on reducing vaping prevalence.”
Taken together, these findings provide important insights into the impact of rapidly evolving policies on vaping.
Journal reference:
- Jackson, S. E., Shahab, L., Tattan-Birch, H., et al. (2025) Changes in vaping trends since the announcement of an impending ban on disposable vapes: A population study in Great Britain. Addiction. doi:10.1111/add.70057