Vaping

Disposable vapes were banned on the 1 June 2025 under Environmental Legislation. These products contain a lithium battery in a plastic device, and they were being discarded in large numbers, with most ending up in landfill. It's been estimated that over a million single use vapes were thrown away every week, amounting to 10 tonnes of lithium a year. This is equivalent to the lithium-ion batteries inside 1,200 electric vehicles. This was a large driver behind the ban on disposable vapes.

Vaping and smoking exposes harmful chemicals to people who do not vape or smoke in similar levels. However, there is exposure to some toxic chemicals from vaping that are higher than for people who don't smoke or vape, although much lower than for people who smoke. Therefore, there is likely to be some risk from long-term vaping, particularly for people who have never smoked.

We need to do all we can to prevent children and young adults who have never smoked taking up vaping.  

Intelligence from local Trading Standards has shown:

• inadequate health warnings are in place - the warnings must cover 30% of two largest surface areas of packaging
• main issues in Stockton-on-Tees are the sale of illegal vapes and the underage sale of vapes to children 

Vaping among young people who have never smoked may be especially concerning as nicotine addiction established at this life-stage could be long-lasting. Addiction could potentially increase the likelihood of cigarette use over the life-course and or risk for psychiatric disorders, future substance use and poor later life cognition.

Vaping among people who have never smoked represents a potential public health concern: 'safer than smoking' may not be the same thing as 'safe'.