Sir Gavin Williamson joined RSPCA and the Marine Conservation Society for a parliamentary event calling for legislation banning disposable vapes to be brought forward as soon as possible.
The event was organised by animal welfare groups in face of the impact that disposable vapes have on wild habitats and the environment. Disposable vapes are a diverse group of battery-powered devices that convert a liquid into an aerosol for inhalation. Vaping materials are made up of many different components including glass, plastic and metal, and a heating coil and lithium-ion battery. At the event, Sir Gavin was disturbed to learn of the dangers of disposable vapes for animals, particularly cats and dogs. Between 2017 and 2022, The Veterinary Poisons Information Service were informed with 680 reports of consumption of vape liquid products, resulting in 2 fatalities.
Moreover, the environmental impact of disposable vapes has been noted by the Marine Conservation Society’s Beach Clean volunteers, who have reported an increasing number of single-use vapes turning up on beaches around the UK. The vapes contain plastics which degrade into micro-plastics, and these are dangerous to potential wildlife which might consume them, including seabirds, turtles, plankton and fish. It leads to the contamination of our food chain.
Sir Gavin said: “I’m keen that we maintain parliamentary momentum for the ban on disposable vapes. While it is reassuring to know that legislation is being carried out to ban the harmful vaping devices, the time for this legislation to pass cannot come soon enough. In our efforts to protect British species, we must first think about clearing up the excessive amounts of plastic in circulation.”
