Shops and convenience stores have been given less than two months to either sell or recycle their stocks of single-use vapes before new laws come into place.
From June 1, the sale of the disposable products will be banned as the Government bids to tackle their harmful effects on public health and the environment.
As the ban deadline looms, several of the vaping outlets within Swindon’s town centre say it can’t come soon enough.
Mark, who works at the eVapor store in Regent Street, said: “I’ve never approved of the use of the disposable vapes, it puts the industry in a bad light.
“I’ve already seen a more steady trickle of people making the transition from disposable to non-disposable products.
“Nothing annoys me more than seeing kids walking around with disposable vapes in their mouths.
“I imagine there will still be a black market. It’s always the more disreputable places that are selling them. We’ve never sold them here and we’ve always sold liquid-based products.
“The aim always has to be to get people off smoking.”
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The Minister for Public Health and Prevention, Ashley Dalton, said on Tuesday that the single-use vapes were enabling a ‘public health crisis’ by “drawing a new generation of young people into nicotine addiction” as a result of the sweet flavours on offer.
While reusable vapes still deliver nicotine, they are typically produced by more reputable brands that follow strict quality control measures to ensure the products are devoid of more harmful chemicals.
Corey, who works at Infinity Mist in The Parade, says he can’t see the ban having an impact on businesses who have already begun to move with the times.
He said: “Companies have generally figured it out by now on selling products that are non-disposable, so the ban isn’t going to leave us with half of our stock to shift before June or anything like that.
“I think the ban is a good thing because [the disposable vapes] are awful, they make them as strong and as cheap as they can and then sell them to kids.
“People will probably still be able to find a way to buy them after the ban, but a lot of vaping products have already changed and switched to pre-filled chargeable pods.
“So it’s not going to impact us and of course the change will also be good for the environment.”
Research by Material Focus found an estimated 8.2 million vapes are now thrown away or littered every week in the UK, which is the equivalent of 13 each second.
Recycling the product has also proved to be a challenge for waste industry workers, who are required to take them apart by hand in a slow and costly process.
Their contents also present a fire risk to recycling facilities and can leak harmful chemicals into the environment.
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Martyn, of Go Vape in Havelock Street, agrees that the popularity of disposable vapes continues to be a problem in the area.
He said: “The whole trend of disposable vaping came about thanks to people promoting it on TikTok in the USA, and then big tobacco companies cottoned onto it over here and started pushing it.
“The sooner they are gone, the better. Hopefully the ban gets rid of them for good and gets more people using non-disposable products.”
“Our ban comes into force in just a few weeks so businesses must play their part by running down stocks and ensuring the remainder are collected for recycling.
“The Government is committed to moving towards a more circular economy, where we use, repair and refill things for longer, to reduce waste.”
This article was originally published by a www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk . Read the Original article here. .