Scotland wants to ban puffs by April 2025

The government has announced its intention to ban disposable puff-type e-cigarettes from April 2025. A draft legislation was published by the government after Scotland joined England and Wales in banning the disposable devices. It follows recommendations from a UK-wide consultation on how to achieve a smoke-free generation[1].

The draft legislation will be open for consultation until 8 March 2024 before being implemented in Scotland under powers under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. Circular Economy Minister Lorna Slater said the three UK nations had worked together to agree a date for the ban to come into force.

The powers in section 140 of the Act were transferred to the Scottish Ministers under section 53 of the Scotland Act 1998 and can no longer be exercised by UK Ministers in relation to Scotland. Scotland must therefore legislate separately to enact such a ban. This approach has been used in the past to ban other products such as microbeads, cotton buds and single-use plastics.

A measure to protect young people and the environment

The introduction of legislation banning single-use electronic devices is part of the Government’s Programme for Government commitment to reduce vaping and take action to tackle the environmental impact of single-use vapes. It is also part of the UK’s vision to achieve a tobacco- and nicotine-free generation in the coming years.

In Scotland, a June 2023 study of health behaviours in school-aged children indicated that 3% of 11-year-old Scottish children and 10% of 13-year-old children were regular users of e-cigarettes. This consumption was mainly attributable to disposable devices.[2].

The Scottish Government will also set out UK-wide plans to toughen measures on vaping products by banning attractive flavours and raising the age of purchase for tobacco products, making it illegal to sell tobacco to anyone born after 1 January 2009.

In January 2023, a report commissioned by the Scottish Government from Zero Waste Scotland estimated that 26 million vapes had been consumed and discarded in Scotland in the past year, with 10 million being thrown away and more than half being disposed of incorrectly. With millions of these vapes being thrown away each year, the cost of cleaning up litter and managing waste is significant and growing for local authorities. When these devices are disposed of incorrectly, the batteries increase the risk of fires at waste treatment centres and collection vehicles, which can damage taxpayer-paid equipment or even pose a risk to people’s safety.

Environmental protection and public health stakeholders welcome this decision, believing that the time for half measures is over and that the Scottish government has already missed several opportunities to restrict this market.[3]Several European countries, including Belgium and France, have recently embarked on the process of banning these products.

Keywords: Scotland, puffs, disposable e-cigarettes, vaping, UK, tobacco-free generation, nicotine

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[1] Tobacco-free generation, UK sets out plan to achieve a smoke-free generation, published February 1, 2024, accessed February 26, 2024

[2] Tobacco-free generation, Scotland considers nicotine withdrawal for children under 12, published October 17, 2023, accessed February 26, 2024

[3] ASH Scotland, ASH Scotland urges outright ban of disposable e-cigarettes, following publication of Zero Waste Scotland's review of the environmental and health-harming products, published June 30, 2023, accessed February 26, 2024