Disposable vapes are to be banned across the UK as the Government looks to tackle the rise in youth vaping and “protect children’s health”.
It’s long been a topic of conversation, and one that many activists have been calling for – as well as a group of Greater Manchester councillors back in August of last year too – but now, the Government is finally appearing to take action and address the rising problem of youth vaping head-on by announcing a nationwide ban on disposable e-cigarettes.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is set to formally announce the UK-wide ban today (29 January) during a visit to a school.
The ban on disposable vapes comes as part of the Government’s wider “ambitious plans”, and is said to be a response to its recent consultation on smoking and vaping – which was launched back in October last year.
🆕 We’re banning disposable vapes in the UK to protect children’s health.
This is part of new measures to clamp down on underage vaping and create a #SmokefreeGeneration by making it illegal to sell tobacco products to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009.
Details 🔻
— Department of Health and Social Care (@DHSCgovuk) January 29, 2024
According to the Government, recent figures show that the number of children using vapes in the past three years has tripled, and use among younger children is also rising, in particular – with 9% of 11 to 15-year-olds now using vapes.
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Disposable vapes have been “a key driver” behind the “alarming rise” in youth vaping, Government ministers say, as studies show that the proportion of 11 to 17-year-old vapers using disposables has increased almost ninefold in the last two years.
As part of the Government’s plans, new powers will be introduced to restrict e-cigarette flavours that are specifically-marketed at children, and ensure that manufacturers produce plainer and less-visually-appealing packaging, while also allowing the Government to change how vapes are displayed in shops by both moving them out of childrens’ sight, and away from other products that are made to appeal to them – such as sweets, fizzy drinks, and so on.
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Government announces ban on disposable vapes in UK to ‘protect children’s health’ / Credit: Sarah Johnson (via Pixabay) | Unsplash
To crack down on underage sales, the Government has also announced it will bring in new fines for shops in England and Wales that sell vapes illegally to children, and give trading standards officers the power to act ‘on the spot’ to tackle underage tobacco and vape sales.
Vaping alternatives such as nicotine pouches will also be outlawed for children under the new plans, as it’s thought youths are now “increasingly turning” to these “highly addictive substitutes” instead.
“As any parent or teacher knows, one of the most worrying trends at the moment is the rise in vaping among children,” commented Prime Minister Rishi Sunak as he announced the ban on disposable vapes in the UK today.
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“And so we must act before it becomes endemic.
“The long-term impacts of vaping are unknown and the nicotine within them can be highly addictive, so while vaping can be a useful tool to help smokers quit, marketing vapes to children is not acceptable.
Smoking is the single biggest preventable cause of death in England.
We are protecting our children by creating a smokefree generation – and acting to tackle the alarming rise in youth vaping.https://t.co/OwvuZdFbrY
“As Prime Minister, I have an obligation to do what I think is the right thing for our country in the long term, and that is why I am taking bold action to ban disposable vapes, and bring forward new powers to restrict vape flavours, introduce plain packaging, and change how vapes are displayed in shops. “
Mr Sunak says these he wants these new changes to “leave a lasting legacy” by protecting children’s health “for the long term”.
As well as all these new plans announced today in an attempt to tackle the rise in youth vaping, the Government has also, once again, reiterated its commitment to bring about the first ‘smokefree generation’ in the UK, and has said it is keen to eventually introduce legislation that means children turning fifteen this year, or younger, can never legally be sold tobacco.
The eight new proposed measures to create a ‘smokefree generation’ were announced the Prime Minister at the Conservative Party Conference last October.
Featured Image – ELFBAR
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Chester Zoo named one of England’s most popular tourist attractions with 1.9m visitors
Emily Sergeant
Congratulations are in order, yet again, for Chester Zoo… as this time its been one of England’s most popular attractions.
Merely months after being named the UK’s best zoo for the second year running, thanks to receiving more than 11,000 ‘excellent’ reviews from TripAdvisor, Chester Zoo has now got itself another prestigious title, as a major VisitEngland (VE) report has ranked it the third most-visited ‘paid for’ attraction in England – and the most visited outside of London.
The national tourist board for England gathered information from a total of 1,373 attractions across the country, and ranked the UK’s biggest charity zoo as the third overall in terms of popularity, with a whopping 1.9 million visitors in 2024 alone.
The Tower of London took top spot with 2.9 million visitors, while the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew was second place with 2.3 million visitors.
When it comes to free attractions, on the other hand, it wad the British Museum that claimed the top spot with 6.5 million visitors, while the Natural History Museum (5.9 million visitors) took second place, and the Tate Modern (4.6 million visitors) got third.
So as you can see, the south and London in particular is a pretty dominating force in England’s tourism industry – which is why it’s even more impressive to see Chester Zoo ranked so highly.
The new VE title also comes after the zoo was recently given £4 million of lottery funding to help ‘transform’ the local environment and restore wildlife habitats across the Cheshire and wider North West region.
Not only that, but if course follows Chester Zoo’s unveiling of its new immersive experience named Heart of Africa, which is the the largest zoo habitat ever created in the UK and is home to 57 iconic African species.
Chester Zoo has been named one of England’s most popular tourist attractions with 1.9m visitors / Credit: Chester Zoo
“As a major international wildlife charity, everything we do is focused on supporting global conservation,” commented Chester Zoo’s Commercial Director, Dom Strange.
“Whether it’s caring for highly-threatened animals and plants, making scientific discoveries, influencing Government environmental policies, impacting the National Curriculum to better connect young people with nature, or our conservation efforts in around 20 countries, we’re fully committed to protecting endangered species for the future.
“But none of this would be possible without our visitors.
“Every person who comes to the zoo for a fun and inspiring day out is helping to fund our vital work, so we want to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has supported us and helped us to rank so highly in VisitEngland’s latest report.”
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Manchester Museum saves a ‘national treasure’ to ensure it stays in the UK
Emily Sergeant
Manchester Museum has made a stunning new addition to its natural history collections, and in the process has ensured a ‘national treasure’ stays in the UK.
Not long after claiming the coveted title of European Museum of the Year for 2025, Manchester Museum has done it again – this time working together with John Rylands Library to acquire Henry Dresser’s unique personal copy of his anthology A History of the Birds of Europe so that this ‘invaluable resource’ can remain in the UK for future generations.
The beautifully-illustrated collection of books provide an important historical record to help understand how and why bird populations have changed over time.
Dresser’s personal copy is heavily-annotated with personal notes and observations.
These books are deemed to be of ‘outstanding significance’, not only for scientific purposes but also for their aesthetic value, as they have also been illustrated by some of the leading wildlife artists of the day.
The volumes were recognised as a national treasure by the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest, which is supported by the Arts Council, and this meant that the Government placed a temporary export deferral on them to allow time for UK buyers to raise the funds to keep them in the country.
Brilliantly, the acquisition of these books reunites them with Dresser’s own bird specimens that are already cared for by Manchester Museum, including species such as the Slender-billed curlew, which is now believed to be extinct.
The now-extinct species’ presence in both Dresser’s beautifully-annotated volumes and the ornithological collections at Manchester Museum highlights the vital role that historical records play in tracking biodiversity loss over time to uncover the long-term impact of environmental change.
Manchester Museum has saved a ‘national treasure’ to ensure it stays in the UK / Credit: Manchester Museum
“Threats to the natural world and biodiversity have never been greater and while this anthology has historical value, it also speaks to the urgent issues of the present,” commented Esme Ward, who is the Director of Manchester Museum.
“These books are breathtakingly beautiful, and by bringing them together with natural history collections, we believe they will not only provide scientific benefit, but also capture the hearts of future ornithologists and conservationists.”
A History of the Birds of Europe will be officially unveiled at a private view on Friday 27 June, before being displayed to the public for the first time in Manchester Museum’s ‘Living Worlds’ gallery from Saturday 28 June 2025 right through until Sunday 25 January 2026.
Emily Sergeant -
29th January 2024 
