Vapers panic-buying as shops sell off final stock ahead of looming disposable ban

As the single-use , vapers have been panic-buying the and shop-keepers pushing the last of their stock before June 1st.

Vape shops have been encouraging customers to stock up on the products before the . IVape Lounge in Eccles, , posted on X: “The 1st of June is D day for disposables don’t miss out either come stock up or get on a device.”

Another vendor, Vape It UK in Taunton, Somerset, shared a picture of its shelves filled with stock and said: “All this must go in 60 days. If you use disposables and want to stock up before the ban there [sic] just £5.00 each until stocks last.”

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The Vape Escape, which has 23 stores across Wales posted: “It's almost the weekend, it's time to stock up on your vaping essentials. Time's running out on the disposable ban, once our disposables are gone, they are gone!” Meanwhile, online retailer UK Vape Scene encouraged customers to “stock up before they’re gone forever”.

Cara Hallihan, a vaper, told the that she'd been "buying boxes of them from my local discount store" and was able to get ten vapes for £20 in her stock-piling feat.

From June 1st, it will be illegal for businesses to sell or supply single-use or . This applies to sales online and in shops of all vapes, whether or not they contain nicotine.

The government explained that disposable vapes are an “inefficient use of critical resources” and are often discarded as litter, which “spoils our communities, introduces harmful substances into the soil, rivers and streams, and causes harm to biodiversity”.

It added: “When single-use vapes are thrown into black bins they often end up in landfill or are incinerated, which means critical resources are lost. They can also cause fires, which risks the safety of waste management workers, firefighters and the public.”

Analysis by Material Focus found that an estimated 8.2 million vapes are now thrown away or littered every week in the UK. This is the equivalent of 13 every second.

Waste minister Mary Creagh said: “For too long, single-use vapes have littered our streets, wasted valuable resources and harmed wildlife. Our ban comes into force in just a few weeks so businesses must play their part by running down stocks and ensuring the remainder are collected for recycling.”

Creagh added that the government is “committed to moving towards a more circular economy, where we use, repair and refill things for longer, to reduce waste”.

Any businesses in England failing to comply with the ban could face a stop notice or fine of £200 in the first instance, with all products seized by Trading Standards. However, if further infractions occur, they could be hit with an unlimited fine or be prosecuted, the government explained.

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It said: “If businesses have any single-use vapes in their possession after 1 June 2025, they will not be able to sell them to shoppers and must ensure they are disposed of safely.”

Gen Z is the age group most likely to be impacted by the ban, as research by University College London found that almost a third of 18 to 24-year-olds say they use e-cigarettes. However, with the ban coming into effect, many young people have already .

Designed to be placed under the lips and against the gum, the pouches allow nicotine to be absorbed into the bloodstream through mucous membranes in the mouth.