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THE RECORD LED THE CAMPAIGN FOR A CRACKDOWN ON DISPOSABLE VAPES WHICH LITTERED OUR STREETS AND GOT YOUNGSTERS HOOKED. 13:57, 30 May 2025 Single use vapes will finally be banned in Scotland

this weekend in a move that could be transformative for public health and the environment. An estimated 26 million disposable e-cigarettes are thrown away by Scots each year, with more than

half not recycled and 10 per cent dumped on the street. The Record joined environmental activists in calling for an end to sale and supply of single use vapes in a bid to clean-up our

communities. It's also hoped the ban on throwaway e-cigs - which takes effect from June 1 - will discourage more youngsters getting hooked on the brightly-coloured, sweetly-flavoured

vapes and impacting their health. A quarter of 11-15-year-olds have admitted they have tried the devices at least once. The ban on the sale of disposable vapes will apply UK-wide after

agreement was reached between Westminster and the devolved governments. Article continues belowREAD MORE: Angela Rayner accuses Reform of 'politics of hatred' as she insists Labour

can win bitter Holyrood by-electionREAD MORE: Scottish Labour by-election candidate branded 'donkey' as criticism mounts over party campaign SNP ministers announced in February

2024 they would commit to a crackdown in a victory for the Record's campaign. Barry Fisher, chief executive of Keep Scotland Beautiful, said: "We first became aware of the impact

single-use vapes were having on our environment back in 2022 when members of the public and our volunteers were noticing them more often and asked what could be done. "I’m proud of the

effort we have made, alongside our partners, to see this product banned in Scotland – it shows what true collaboration can achieve. "Our surveys and supporters have made it clear that

this product was becoming more and more common, spoiling our environment and causing danger to wildlife. "We are dealing with a litter emergency and the last thing we need is single-use

products coming to market that can end up discarded harming our environment. "This ban will help remove the fastest growing litter item from our streets, parks and beaches and is a

welcome step in the right direction, but everyone must dispose of their waste in the correct way." ASH Scotland, which campaigns against the harms caused by tobacco products, said there

had been an "alarming" upsurge in vaping among children. Sheila Duffy, the charity's chief executive, said: "We celebrate the ban of cheap recreational disposable

e-cigarettes, which are the starter vaping product for most youngsters who vape, as a vital first step towards halting the alarming upsurge of children vaping in Scotland during the last few

years. "Although we warmly welcome these regulations coming into effect, government must take further, stronger actions to restrict the advertising and promotion of all e-cigarettes as

well as banning vape flavours, colours, descriptors and branding on device designs and packaging to reduce the attractiveness of the products to children. Article continues below "The

tobacco and nicotine industries must be halted in their attempts to attract children to use their addictive and health harming products, generating huge profits at a considerable cost to the

health of our young people now and future generations." TO SIGN UP TO THE DAILY RECORD POLITICS NEWSLETTER, CLICK HERE