Signal: Product / market watch · Evidence: Confirmed market shift · Scope: Great Britain / UK · Family: Vapes
Date: 30 September 2026
What is changing?
The vape market has shifted since the single-use vape ban. In the 2026 ASH Smokefree GB Youth Survey, 51% of 11–17-year-olds who currently vape said a cartridge or pod device was their main type. Tank devices accounted for 21% and disposables 13%.
ASH reports that brands previously strongly associated with disposables now have widely available reusable pod products. UK Government consultation documents also note that new products have entered the market that are very similar in appearance to single-use vapes.
Higher-capacity products are sometimes described as “big puff” or hybrid devices. Local authority Trading Standards guidance warns that higher capacity does not automatically mean a product is compliant.
What this means for schools and youth settings
A vape that looks like an old disposable may now be a reusable pod device. Appearance alone is not a reliable way to decide whether a product is legal, compliant or single-use.
If a product causes concern, record what is visible on the device or packaging and follow your setting’s safeguarding or incident process. Do not dismantle or test an unfamiliar device.
What we do not know
These Great Britain and UK market signals do not give us a Wales-specific estimate for the use of “big puff” or disposable-lookalike pod devices among young people.
By ASH Wales