Disposable Vapes - The tide seems to be changing - Disposable Vape Ban ?

[ZT]

Sorry! Ive been Blogging ... Not something I do very often coz - I suck at it and who wants to read what I have to say!

But here it is in all its dubious glory ... Both the link to the article and somewhat sanitised for POTV!
If anyone feels like it - please share and post a comment on the site

https://manabush.com/blogs/news-eve...tide-seems-to-be-changing-disposable-vape-ban

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Disposable Vapes - The tide seems to be changing - Disposable Vape Ban ?
SEPTEMBER 13, 2023​

I have done a few blog posts on disposable vapes over the last few years - and those of you who have read them are probably aware I am not their biggest fan, the reasons for which I have outlined elsewhere - but will give you a little reminder below after this intro.

It looks like the tide is turning in regards to the law and Disposable vapes with murmurings and whispers of an outright ban on single use disposable vapes as early as next week (current date : 13/09/23) - but is a ban the right thing to do? and if not - what controls can be put in place to lessen the impact of disposables and curb the disturbing trend of illegal Disposable Vapes with too high Nicotine content and more than the legal capacity being openly sold in high street shops and (witnessed with my own eyes) from tiny street stalls all over Skegness and Ingoldmells and I assume by extrapolation every other seaside town or tourist destination with a fun fair ?

My personal dislike of disposable vapes outline.

• The Enviroment - I think by now and after the weirdly unseasonable weather we have had in the UK this year - and the far more disastrous natural weather phenomenons across the globe - we really need to do what we can to mitigate pollution and waste, and a quick look at any city pavement or a read on some of the statistics (here : Material Focus Media Release) on just how many plastic Disposable Pens like Lost Mary, Elf Bar, Geek Bar etc are going to landfill - alongside all the lithium they contain tell us - that the marketing and sale of these things in the numbers currently seen is not sustainable and ecologically disastrous.
• Think Of The Children! - I personally hate the use of Children vaping as a weapon for the Anti Vape Brigade to hammer at our hobby / industry - as they have done repeatedly since the start of the industry and done so baselessly, however it is not baseless any more, I've seen it myself and I'm sure most of you have as well - these things appeal to kids, regardless of age laws and illegality - unscrupulous shops and unscrupulous traders continue to supply those not of a legal age with Disposable Vapes and Disposable Pens - Often ones of dubious origin and illegal nicotine levels and legal volume exceeded. It looks awful on the rest of the industry, and while as I hear quoted often "Well they are going to try it anyway and I would rather they vaped than smoked" a phrase I do not personally entirely disagree with - I think i would rather if they are going to do it at all - and lets face it, kids experiment - I would rather they were round the back of the bike sheds with a proper compliant reusable POD system and a compliant bottle of eliquid, than a dodgy 10ml 50mg Back of the lorry unknown origin Disposable.
• Perception and Optics - Our company like many around today have been around since the early days of this industry, and it has been a battle. It has been a battle merely to continue to exist, and provide what people wishing to quit smoking (as we did) and needing a helping hand along that route require. It has been a battle not just at a national level, but at an international level (and a lot of countries now have lost that battle) to merely do what we do, it has been a battle to legitimise the industry - and to be seen as anything other than a dangerous fad. During this battle there has always been traders wishing to push the envelope on what can be seen as acceptable - when CBD came in (something I take no issue with in and of itself) - there were always those wanting to advertise it via the use of enormous vinyl Cannabis leaves all over everything, at a time we were trying to look legit - this did us no favours in a country where the use of weed has always largely been frowned upon by the larger society (regardless of my personal opinions on the matter), while I can appreciate the sign of rebellion it represented, it did nothing for the look of the industry. But I tell you what - I will take that any day over the way Disposable Vapes are making the industry look these days. We are back in the papers - with scare piece after scare piece, its in parliament being discussed left right and centre - and you know for a fact - its being picked up by those that would see the end of vaping as a whole - the Antis - and they will be making damn sure that Disposable Vapes are NOT being seperated from vaping as a whole in their mithering holier than thou bleetings.

So readers - those are the reasons I do not like disposable vapes, and while I hate to say I told you so, back when these things first came out I did say both on here and on Planet Of The Vapes that it was fairly blatantly obvious where this was going to end up, not that i'm in any way gifted with far sight, its was just really really obvious.

So all that background out of the way - it's looking increasingly like Disposable vapes are going to be banned. If you believe what the media and the industry murmurings have to say as early as next week - possibly an outright ban on all single use Disposable Vapes (anyone else think a Ban on all single use plastic disposable items would have more of an impact? thereby not targeting our industry directly and enormously cutting out plastic waste in one go?)

To be honest I'm not sure how I feel about an outright ban on disposable vapes. I think an outright ban bought in that quickly from discussions behind closed doors sets a dangerous precedent for our industry - and probably for many other industries.

I do see the place that disposables have in the market - both as a first port of introduction for new swappers from smoking and for those perhaps going on a trip where taking vape gear is impractical - but I have always thought that that is where it should stop, they should not be the first thing punted to all and sundry on the front pages of websites or the forward counters of shops - and every encouragement should have been made long before now, to swap disposable users to proper reusable vape gear rather than keep fleecing them time and time again for what is actually a far far more expensive way to vape than traditional vape gear.

In essence - when used and sold correctly and with forethought and the needs of the end users and some thought about the impact on the environment and on the industry applied. - they could be a useful tool in the arsenal those of us who have made the break from cigarettes.

However it looks like corporate greed, bandwagon jumping and the ease of unscrupulous traders selling these items is going to put paid to that tool. We can only hope it stops there.

Do not get me wrong I will loose not an ounce of sleep if disposables do get banned - but the repercussions of how that ban is implemented worries me greatly.

So what about those of you reading or who come across this article who are disposable vape users? either lapsed traditionalist vapers or have known nothing else? My advice to you is this - find an Alternative to Disposable Vapes, go out find a POD System or MOD device you can live with - find some juice you like - I mean there are literally thousands of juices around now designed to mimic disposable vapes, or try some new juices - you never know - you may get opened up to the far more fascinating world of craft e-liquids - and move away from your mango ice!

If you find the swap really hard - names you are familiar with - such as Elf Bar now do rechargeable Disposable vapes - not ideal but being able to recharge and use a few times is a saving from just straight discarding after a few hours, they are also bringing out closed systems now, with rechargeable devices and pre filled PODS - all of these options are better than. disposable vape - though some are better than others - now is the time to swap, and become part of the solution to what has been a pretty rough knock to the vape scene. Elf Bar also make the Nic Salt e-liquids they use in their disposables available as 10ml bottles for use in any system - so there really is no longer an excuse!

 

[zouzounaki]

a thoughtful post. a couple of thoughts/points of interest:

re: (anyone else think a Ban on all single use plastic disposable items would have more of an impact? thereby not targeting our industry directly and enormously cutting out plastic waste in one go?)

i think this is already the case in scotland. i’m not sure if disposables vapes have escaped it because they aren’t truly single use, like a plastic straw, fork etc (maybe disposable lighters get a pass on this basis?)

also the thing about disposables being used responsibly, that will never happen,

because

 

[ZT]

a thoughtful post. a couple of thoughts/points of interest:

re: (anyone else think a Ban on all single use plastic disposable items would have more of an impact? thereby not targeting our industry directly and enormously cutting out plastic waste in one go?)

i think this is already the case in scotland. i’m not sure if disposables vapes have escaped it because they aren’t truly single use, like a plastic straw, fork etc (maybe disposable lighters get a pass on this basis?)

also the thing about disposables being used responsibly, that will never happen,

because

View attachment 332999

I dont disagree with you at all - responsible use would be day dream that would rely on people not being greedy

like marxist socialism

 

[zouzounaki]

i think it is a can of worms that the lid can’t be put back on, unfortunately.

 

[ZT]

i think it is a can of worms that the lid can’t be put back on, unfortunately.

Agreed

 

[MarylinC37]

I think there is one point that has kind of got slightly over looked here.

Although disposables have been a bad thing in a number of ways - in one way they have actually been a very good thing.

That's because they have attracted so many more smokers over to vaping who previously couldn't get on with it.

Why? . . . SIMPLICITY.

I've known so many people who tried vaping but never got on with it because the work involved to maintain them along with the mess just put too many people off.

Disposables meant all they have to do is pick the thing up and puff away.

Those of us who have been vaping for years clearly weren't put off and we've all tried many different devices and done a lot of learning. The majority of disposable users have little or no knowledge.

But do we want to lose all those new vapers back to smoking? I think not.

You're not going to persuade most of them to be willing to do things like having to change coils, or learn all about the various numbers they see on a mods display screen or have to deal with too many buttons and different controls. Very often they'll just stop vaping because they've got too much else going on in their lives and buying a packet of cigs and lighting one up is just so much easier to do.

One thing I hope is that, if they go ahead with this ban, they won't also ban pod refills for being single use otherwise it will mean disposable users will have to then need to change coils and keep them clean and they'll just light up a ciggie instead.

 

[ZT]

I think there is one point that has kind of got slightly over looked here.

Although disposables have been a bad thing in a number of ways - in one way they have actually been a very good thing.

That's because they have attracted so many more smokers over to vaping who previously couldn't get on with it.

Why? . . . SIMPLICITY.

I've known so many people who tried vaping but never got on with it because the work involved to maintain them along with the mess just put too many people off.

Disposables meant all they have to do is pick the thing up and puff away.

Those of us who have been vaping for years clearly weren't put off and we've all tried many different devices and done a lot of learning. The majority of disposable users have little or no knowledge.

But do we want to lose all those new vapers back to smoking? I think not.

You're not going to persuade most of them to be willing to do things like having to change coils, or learn all about the various numbers they see on a mods display screen or have to deal with too many buttons and different controls. Very often they'll just stop vaping because they've got too much else going on in their lives and buying a packet of cigs and lighting one up is just so much easier to do.

One thing I hope is that, if they go ahead with this ban, they won't also ban pod refills for being single use otherwise it will mean disposable users will have to then need to change coils and keep them clean and they'll just light up a ciggie instead.

I think there is an edge of diminishing returns there

I have seen many many smokers quit - both in the old days with “clearomisers” and the like and more recently with pod and starter kits.

pod kits are simple enough if you cant keep it charged and fill a pod - its a wonder you can wipe your arse in the morning.

its an old excuse i hear - one that demonstrably previous to the current glut of disposables was not an issue.

disposables didnt fill a demand - they created one through encouraging laziness.

and there are many many never smokers who have been attracted to them.

 

[MarylinC37]

I think there is an edge of diminishing returns there

I have seen many many smokers quit - both in the old days with “clearomisers” and the like and more recently with pod and starter kits.

pod kits are simple enough if you cant keep it charged and fill a pod - its a wonder you can wipe your arse in the morning.

its an old excuse i hear - one that demonstrably previous to the current glut of disposables was not an issue.

disposables didnt fill a demand - they created one through encouraging laziness.

and there are many many never smokers who have been attracted to them.

It's really not as simple as that.

I'm not actually a pod user and without checking I'm not sure how the refillable ones work but surely there must be a coil which would need to be changed regularly.

That means people have to figure out which coils to buy amoung a confusing array of dozens of different types. Then find somewhere that stocks the right coils and possibly have to travel slightly further to get there.

You can't just write them off as lazy. In most cases they're definitely not. They have families, jobs and plenty of other things going on so if it's a choice between investing time to correctly maintain a vape device or light up a ciggie plenty of them just won't vape.

 

[ZT]

Would you write off someone as lazy who couldn't be arsed to sort out there recycling trash from the household waste and put it in the correct bin ?

its also an absolute fact that previous to these devices, the uptake with youth was nothing like it is now - that extra level of complexity kept them away from it.

 

[MarylinC37]

I'm sorry but the lazy thing just doesn't wash at all.

As for youth vaping. What would you rather have? Kids smoking cigarrettes or buying fck knows what off the scum bag drug dealer hanging around the school gates. When we were kids, if we wanted to get booze or fags we would always find a way and if kids now are determined enough to have a go with something I would far rather they pick up a vape than use most of the other crap that's out there.