Why Scotland’s Disposable Vape Delay Doesn’t Mean You Should

This was always going to be a significant year for vaping in the UK. New legislation to ban the sale of single-use vapes has been confirmed for some time, which means many vapers will have to adjust to learning to make their own using juice kits and refillables.

Given several months of notice, this should not be too hard for anyone to do. But in the meantime, the convenience of disposable vapes is something people can make the most of, which is why you should check out our clearance sale.

However, there has been one little change to the situation. For most of the UK, the ban comes in on June 1st. You can still use a disposable e-cigarette after that time, but retailers won't be allowed to sell them and anyone trying to will face prosecution. That means now is a good time to stock up, especially as they are reduced to clear.

Scotland's Abandoned April Plan

Just to be different, as usual, one part of the UK decided it wanted a ban on single-use vapes to come in early - Scotland. Holyrood planned that retailers would be prohibited from selling disposables from April 1st, two months sooner than England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

However, it is not hard to imagine that this would be slightly impractical. After all, retailers in border areas with some stock left over at the start of next month could try to sell them in England, while vapers in such areas could similarly find a shop in Carlisle or Northumbria.

Given these practical issues, the Scottish government subsequently concluded it made sense to do things in step with the rest of the UK after all and instigate the ban on June 1st. It's not that this is what the 55 per cent voted for in 2014; it's just common sense.

The result is that the ban date, which would now have been imminent, is still over two months away. However, while Scots (and anyone from elsewhere visiting Scotland) are still able to obtain disposables for a couple of months, that doesn't mean all that much has really changed.

Why Not Much Has Changed

In particular, two things remain very relevant. Firstly, there is a bit more time to get some bargain disposables before the ban goes into effect, but as literally everything must go, there is no reason to delay just because the Scottish government has. Things will sell out soon enough.

Secondly, a two-month stay of execution is also no reason to hold back from preparing for the post-disposable age. That means now is the time to get yourself some vape kits, try different types of vape juices and learn how to use rechargeable and reusable vapes.

None of this is rocket science, of course. But it gives you a chance to experiment a bit, try a few new flavours and mixes and see what you enjoy. It also means you aren't suddenly faced with having to suddenly buy and learn to use these kits once your stock of disposables finally runs out.

Why The Ban May Be Good News

The fact that the Scottish ban is delayed is not necessarily a cause for rejoicing anyway. In many ways, the bans across the UK will be good news for vapers. The rationale behind the ban has been partly that single-use vapes are easier to use and, therefore, more convenient for underage users who get their hands on them. The other part has been a littering problem.

Making everyone switch to reusable devices should tackle both of these issues. For one thing, reusables don't come in all the child-friendly colours and flavours aimed at appealing to those below the legal age for vaping.

Secondly, if you need to hang on to your kit, you won't be chucking it away at all, let alone dropping it carelessly in the street. This is a bigger issue because single-use vapes have a lot of plastic content and also lithium batteries.

In the first case, you don't need to see footage of a turtle with a straw up its nose to know how bad plastic pollution is when it gets down drains, into rivers and eventually the sea.

Secondly, lithium is a vital material that will play a big role in the electric vehicle revolution, as well as being used already in many devices such as laptops and mobile phones, as well as vaping kits. It makes sense that we make the most of it, which rechargeable devices will do.

So, while you may not have to hurry in Scotland as much as originally planned, that doesn't mean you shouldn't be getting ready right now for a change that is still not far off.

Written by: Matt. H