A motion which calls on the government to ban single use vapes has been unanimously passed by Richmond Council.

Andrée Frieze, Cllr for Ham, Petersham & Richmond Riverside, brought the motion in response to concerns raised by residents about local newsagents selling brightly coloured vapes next to sweets, clearly aiming them at children. 

The motion, brought on 3 October 2023, said: "This Council is concerned at the seven-fold increase in 11 to 17-year-olds nationally using single-use vapes since 2021. The marketing of colourful, candy-flavoured vapes that are relatively cheap and easily accessible is creating a new generation of nicotine addicts and a subsequent public health crisis.

"Council is also concerned about the 1.3 million single-use vapes containing lithium and copper that are discarded each week, which are hard to recycle and pose a fire risk.

The motion added: "Council supports the call by the Local Government Association to ban the sale and manufacture of disposable vapes by 2024 and will write accordingly to Government."

There are currently no legal restrictions on where vapes can be displayed for sale in shops, unlike cigarettes, which are banned from public display and there is no licence required to sell vapes.

The long-term impacts of vaping on young children is not known, but under 18-year-olds are experimenting with them in increasing numbers.

According to figures from NHS Digital in Febraury, across the country, there were 32 cases of under-18s being hospitalised due to e-cigarettes in 2022.

Disposable vapes also have damaging impacts on the environment.

A lot of vapes are designed as one unit, so the batteries cannot be separated from the plastic and are therefore non-recyclable.

Recent data from Material Focus suggests as many as five million single-use vapes are discarded each week.

In her speech to Council, Andrée Frieze said: "Banning single-use vapes is the only way to bring an end to the throwaway culture that has grown up around them. Refillable, rechargeable vapes already exist and they should remain available to help smokers give up cigarettes, but with tighter conditions on their sale, marketing and availability to children.

"By banning disposable vapes we can save lives, cut costs and protect the planet."