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A Parent’s Guide to Nicotine and Smoking Products
Lots of parents feel unsure when it comes to things like vaping, nicotine pouches or other smoking-related products. It can all sound confusing especially when the products are new, the packaging is colourful, and the names keep changing.
This page explains what’s out there, what these products do, how to spot the signs your child might be using them, and what the law says. You don’t need to know everything just having a better idea of what’s going on can help you feel more confident and ready to support your child.
Disposable Vapes (Elf Bars, Lost Mary, “disposables”)
What Are They?
Disposable vapes are single-use, pre-filled with flavoured nicotine liquid. They’re small, easy to hide, and often look like highlighters, pens or USB sticks. Popular brands include Elf Bar, Lost Mary and Geek Bar. They’re sold in flavours like mango, bubblegum and cotton candy which are especially appealing to young people. The user just inhales and the device produces a sweet-smelling vapour.
What Young People Call Them?
Teens often call them “Elfies,” “bars,” “vapes” or just refer to them by flavour like “blue razz” or “watermelon.”
Health Risks
Vaping is less harmful than smoking cigarettes but not harmless. Most disposables contain nicotine, a highly addictive drug that can affect brain development in adolescents.
Nicotine in youth can worsen anxiety and while fewer toxins than cigarette smoke, vapes can still cause airway irritation (users may develop coughs or asthma flare-ups) and the long-term effects remain uncertain.
Some illegal disposable vapes have been found to contain high levels of harmful substances beyond legal safety limits.
Signs of Use
Sweet or fruity scents lingering on your child’s clothes or in their room (unlike tobacco, vapes smell like fruit or mint). You might find discarded colourful vape devices or packaging in bins or bags. Watch for increased thirst or nose/throat dryness (vaping can dehydrate) and your teen being unusually protective of a small gadget. They may become irritable or anxious and may step out frequently for “fresh air” (which could be a vaping break).
What The Law Says?
In the UK it is illegal to sell any vaping product to under-18s, or for an adult to buy one on their behalf. New legislation in June 25 will ban the sale of disposable vapes entirely (largely to protect the environment and youth). After the ban, any disposable vapes on the market would be illicit.
Price
A disposable vape costs £5-£6.
Rechargeable / Refillable Vapes (Pods, Mods, and Vape Kits)
What Are They?
Refillable or reusable vapes are devices that can be topped up with e-liquid and recharged. They include vape pens, pod systems and mod kits. Pod-style and pen vapes are more common with teens, as they’re smaller and easier to hide than bulky “mod” devices that produce big vapour clouds.
What Do Young People Call Them?
Usually just “vape,” “vape pen” or “kit.” They don’t always distinguish between disposables and re-fillables it’s all just vaping to them.
How They Work?
These devices have a battery and a heating coil that turns liquid into vapour. The liquid (called e-liquid or vape juice) usually contains nicotine, flavourings and a mix of chemicals like propylene glycol and glycerine. Refillables don’t get thrown away after one use the tanks can be refilled, and parts like coils can be replaced.
Health Risks
The health risks are similar to disposables, health risks are mainly linked to nicotine addiction and lung irritation.
Because refillable vapes can use strong liquids or be tampered with, some teens may try high-nicotine liquids or even illegal substances like THC which can be dangerous.
Nicotine affects mood, memory and attention in developing brains. Some teens using re-fillables report headaches, chest tightness or struggling to concentrate without a vape.
Signs of Use
Look for small bottles of e-liquid (often fruity or sweet-smelling), spare vape parts like coils or pods, or USB chargers. The device itself might look like a pen, small box or pod with a tank and mouthpiece. You might notice large vapour clouds or lingering smells in certain rooms. Teens often vape in private to avoid drawing attention.
What The Law Says
It’s illegal to sell vape devices or nicotine e-liquids to under-18s. Current UK law also limits tank size (2ml) and nicotine strength (20mg/ml). The new Tobacco and Vapes Bill will close a loophole that let nicotine-free vapes be sold to children and is expected to restrict flavours and packaging that appeal to under-18s.
Price
Starter kits can cost around £10-£20. E-liquid refills are about £3–£5 per 10ml bottle. Some teens buy liquids in bulk or share them with friends.
Nicotine Pouches (ZYN, Nordic Spirit)
What they are:
Nicotine pouches are small white sachets placed under the top lip. They don’t produce smoke or vapour and don’t contain tobacco, but they do contain nicotine – along with flavourings and plant fibres. Brands include VELO, Zyn and Nordic Spirit. They’re discreet and easy to hide, which is part of the appeal to young people.
What Do Young People Call Them?
Teens often call them “snus” (even though real snus is oral tobacco which is banned in the UK). Other names include “upper deckies,” “zinning” (from Zyn), “nicopods,” or just “pouches.”
What They Look Like?
They come in small round tins, often brightly branded. Inside are thumb-sized white pouches. Popular flavours include mint, berry and citrus. They’re placed under the upper lip and release nicotine over about 20-30 minutes. There’s no smoke, smell or vapour just a slight bulge in the lip if you look closely.
Health Risks
While there’s no smoke, these pouches still deliver a strong dose of nicotine often enough to cause dizziness, nausea or vomiting in new users. They’re highly addictive. Over time, young users may develop cravings and regular dependence. Physical risks include gum irritation, sores and increased heart rate. Nicotine can also affect mood, anxiety and focus especially in young people. Because they’re so easy to use without being noticed, frequent use can build up quickly.
What to look out for:
Tins labelled Zyn, Velo or similar small, round, and often found in coat pockets, bags or bedrooms. Look for white pouches in the bin, or a two-part lid with old pouches stored inside. A bulge in the upper lip or frequent lip-touching might suggest one’s in use. Hiccups, face flushing, and chewing gum or mints more than usual could also be signs. Some teens share them or buy singles from friends.
What The Law Says
Right now, it’s still legal to sell nicotine pouches to under-18s in the UK but that’s changing. The UK’s Tobacco and Vapes Bill will ban sales to under-18s, restrict advertising, and introduce packaging and content regulations. Most shops already treat them like age-restricted products, and most products have age limits displayed on the packaging.
Price and Availability
A tin of around 20 pouches costs about £6-7.
Cigarettes and Roll-Ups
What they are:
Despite all the new nicotine gadgets, cigarettes are still around. A cigarette is shredded tobacco rolled in paper, usually with a filter on one end. Teens might smoke factory-made cigarettes or roll-ups (hand-rolled cigarettes using loose tobacco and rolling papers).
What Do Young People Call Them?
Common terms for cigarettes include “fags”, “cigs”, “smokes”, or “darts” (the last one is more Australian/Internet slang, but some teens use it playfully). A rolled cigarette is often called a “rollie” or just “a fag.” Tobacco itself can be called “baccy”. You might hear “Got any baccy?” or “Let’s smoke a fag.” Be aware: “spliff” typically refers to a cannabis joint mixed with tobacco, not a straight cigarette.
What They Look Like:
A typical cigarette is a slim white tube (8-9cm long) with a tan/beige filter. Roll-ups might be thinner, lack a filter or use a slim cardboard filter tip, and often look less uniform. Since 2017, all legal cigarettes in the UK come in plain olive-brown packaging with graphic health warnings with no bright branding.
Health Risks
We all know cigarettes are extremely harmful. They contain tobacco which, when burned, releases tar, carbon monoxide, and thousands of chemicals many are carcinogenic. Smoking causes cancers (lung, throat, mouth, etc.), chronic lung disease (COPD), heart disease, stroke, you name it. It is often deadly in the long run, and even in the short term can worsen fitness, skin health, and dental health. Crucially, nicotine addiction from cigarettes is very strong young people can get hooked quickly and then find it extremely hard to quit. Because teens’ brains are still developing, they can become nicotine-dependent after even a brief period of regular smoking. Additionally, mixing tobacco with cannabis (common in joints) introduces all these tobacco risks to a cannabis user.
While smokers often say a cigarette calms them, nicotine actually can increase anxiety and mood swings in the long run. Teen smokers often get caught in the cycle of nicotine cravings and withdrawal, which can cause irritability and stress.
Signs Of Use
The smell is the biggest giveaway. Cigarette smoke has a pungent, lingering odour that sticks to clothes, hair, and breath. If your child smells like smoke or you find them obsessively using perfume, body spray, or mints to cover an odour, suspect smoking. You might find lighters or matches, ash in odd places (window sills, bedroom floor), or see that their fingers have a slight yellowish stain (from holding cigarettes frequently) or burns. Some teens try to smoke out of a window you might notice butts or ash just outside a particular window. If they roll their own, you may find loose tobacco strands or rolling papers (which look like small translucent paper booklets). They might carry a tobacco pouch and filter tips. Also, a persistent cough in a teen, or shortness of breath if they used to be athletic, could be a red flag for new smoking habit.
What The Law Says
It’s illegal to sell cigarettes or tobacco to under-18s. But soon, the UK Government plans to go further. As part of the proposed Tobacco and Vapes Bill, a new law called the “smoke-free generation” will mean that children born on or after 1 January 2009 will never be legally sold cigarettes or tobacco in their lifetime. This is designed to phase out smoking for future generations.
Price
A pack of 20 costs around £10-£13 (and rising every year). Hand-rolling tobacco (30g pouch) is around £15-20.
Cannabis (Weed, Skunk, Edibles)
What they are:
Cannabis is an illegal drug in the UK, but it’s one of the most commonly used substances by teenagers and young adults. It comes from the cannabis plant and is mainly used for its psychoactive effects caused by a chemical called THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), which alters mood, memory and perception. Another compound, CBD (cannabidiol), does not cause a high and is sometimes used in legal products like oils or skincare, but these aren’t meant for young people. Most of the cannabis used by teens contains THC and is illegal. It can come in different forms: dried herbal cannabis (also called weed or bud), resin blocks known as hashish, concentrated oils found in vape cartridges, or edibles like brownies or sweets infused with THC.
What Do Young People Call Them?
So many! Common ones include “weed”, “pot”, “grass”, “dope”, “ganja”, “bud”, “green”, “hash” (for resin), “herb”, “Mary Jane.” In the UK, “skunk” refers to potent high-THC cannabis (often grown indoors). A joint can be called a “spliff” (especially if mixed with tobacco), a “zoot”, or just a “joint.” Other terms: “reefer” (old-fashioned), “tree”, “smoke.” You might hear code words like “Let’s blaze,” “Have a sesh,” or “420” (the number associated with cannabis culture). Someone supplying might be called a “dealer” or a “plug.”
How It's Used?
Most teens smoke it. The typical method is a joint rolling cannabis (often mixed with tobacco) in a rolling paper, sometimes using a cigarette’s tobacco to make a “spliff.” Others might use a pipe or bong (water pipe for cannabis) to smoke pure weed. Increasingly, some use vape pens with cannabis oil cartridges. Edibles are also around; they can be homemade or bought (illegally) as candies/brownies.
The high from smoking is relatively quick (minutes) and lasts 1-2 hours; edibles take longer (45+ mins) and can last several hours, often with stronger effects.
Health Risks
For young people, the biggest risks of cannabis come from how it affects the brain, mood, and long-term mental health. Regular use especially of strong strains high in THC can increase the risk of anxiety, low mood, and even trigger serious mental health conditions like psychosis or schizophrenia in vulnerable individuals. It can impact memory, attention, and motivation, making it harder to focus at school or enjoy hobbies. Because the brain is still developing into the mid-20s, using cannabis early and often can interfere with learning and emotional regulation. There’s also a real risk of becoming dependent teens may start using it to cope with stress or social pressure and then struggle to stop.
What to look out for:
The smell is often the biggest giveaway. Cannabis has a strong, skunky odour that’s hard to miss. If your child’s room, clothes or car smells like this (or like heavy air freshener or incense), it could be covering something up. Other signs include red or droopy eyes (they might use eye drops), sudden hunger or snacking at odd times (“the munchies”), lethargy, or bursts of giggling. You might notice rolling papers, grinders, baggies with herbal traces, or homemade edibles like brownies. Vapes labelled with THC or odd cartoon packaging could contain cannabis oil. Changes in friends, hobbies, motivation or schoolwork especially if paired with mood swings can also be clues.
What The Law Says
Cannabis is illegal (Class B) in the UK. Possession can lead to up to 5 years in prison, though in practice small amounts for personal use often result in a warning or on-the-spot fine for first offences. Supplying or dealing is much more serious up to 14 years in prison if convicted of intent to supply (even giving some to a friend for free is technically supply).
Price
Cannabis for a teenager often comes in small quantities like a “ten bag” (£10 worth, which might be about 1 gram of weed). A gram can roll roughly 2-3 joints depending on size. Strong stuff might be more (£10/0.5g in some areas). If they’re pooling money, they might buy larger amounts at discount (e.g. £20 for 3g, etc.). Edibles might cost £5-£10 each (brownie or pack of gummies).
Shisha (Hookah/Waterpipe)
What they are:
Shisha is a way of smoking flavoured tobacco through a special pipe. Shisha tobacco (called “mu’assel”) is usually a moist mixture of tobacco, molasses or glycerine, and fruit flavours. It’s smoked in a hookah, a tall ornate water pipe with a bowl on top for the tobacco and one or more hoses to inhale from. Shisha smoking is typically a social activity, often done in shisha cafés or lounges, or at home in groups.
What Do Young People Call Them?
Most UK teens refer to it simply as “shisha” or “hookah” – especially when talking about going to a shisha bar or using a waterpipe socially. “Hubbly bubbly” is a more playful nickname, often used jokingly or by younger teens. “Shisha pen” is different. That term originally referred to early flavoured e-cigarettes, often marketed as nicotine-free alternatives to mimic the taste of hookah. Nowadays, if a teen mentions a “shisha pen,” they’re likely talking about a disposable vape, not a traditional hookah. Some e-shisha devices do still exist and are similar to regular vapes, just often larger and marketed with shisha-style flavours. But they’re rare compared to standard vapes like Elf Bar or Lost Mary.
How It Works?
A hookah device has a bowl on top where the flavoured tobacco is placed, usually covered with foil. Hot coals are placed on the foil, which heat the tobacco (without direct combustion). The tobacco smoke passes down through the body of the hookah, bubbles through water in a base jar, and travels through a hose to the user’s mouth. The water cools and slightly filters the smoke, making it smoother to inhale. Hookah sessions often last a long time 30 minutes to an hour of intermittent puffing.
Risks
Shisha is not “safer” than cigarettes. The water filtration does not eliminate the harmful components of the tobacco smoke. A typical one-hour shisha session can equal smoking 100 cigarettes’ worth of tar and carbon monoxide. In fact, because people inhale shisha smoke for a prolonged period, they can take in more carbon monoxide than cigarette smokers. Carbon monoxide (from the charcoal heat source) can cause headaches or even poisoning in poorly ventilated rooms. Shisha tobacco contains nicotine, so it’s addictive as well. There are also risks of sharing hoses infectious diseases like oral herpes or even TB (in extreme cases) can spread if hygiene is poor at a shisha venue. Additionally, because shisha smoke is smoother, some users inhale very deeply, affecting the lungs. Long-term shisha use is linked to respiratory issues, reduced fitness, and similar long-term risks as cigarette smoking (cancers, heart disease). And if the shisha uses herbal (tobacco-free) molasses, note that those still produce carbon monoxide and toxins. “Herbal shisha” may lack nicotine, but inhaling any combusted smoke is harmful.
Signs of Use
If your teen is frequenting shisha lounges, they may come home smelling of fruity smoke. Look for burn marks or charcoal pieces if they do it at home (charcoal disks are used to heat; you might find those in their room or bin). Check for foil squares with holes (used to cover the bowl) or any hookah apparatus hidden away. Many hookahs are decorative you’d know if you saw one.
What The Law Says
Shisha tobacco is treated like cigarettes in law must be 18+ to purchase or to be served at a shisha lounge. Shisha can only legally be smoked in venues that have suitable outdoor or open-air areas. It’s also illegal to supply shisha to under-18s.
Price
A session at a shisha lounge might cost £15-£20 for a pipe that several people share. Hookah equipment for home can be bought for £30+, and a 250g tub of shisha tobacco is around £20 (which yields many sessions).
Heat-Not-Burn Devices (e.g. IQOS)
What they are:
Heat-not-burn devices are a newer category of nicotine product. They heat real tobacco to a high temperature without burning it, releasing an aerosol that the user inhales. The most known device is IQOS by Philip Morris, which uses tobacco sticks called HEETS. These gadgets sit somewhere between cigarettes and vapes they use actual tobacco (so they are a tobacco product) but don’t produce smoke in the traditional sense.
What they look like:
An IQOS device looks like a small electronic gadget often a pen-like holder that the user inserts a short cigarette-like stick into. The tobacco sticks (HEETS) are about half the size of a normal cigarette and usually have a brown filter. The device heats the stick internally. The holder may be kept in a portable charger case. The device itself might be matte plastic, often white, navy, or grey, about 10cm long. It could easily be mistaken for a fancy pen or USB drive at a glance.
What Do Young People Call Them?
They might just call it “IQOS” (pronounced “eye-koss”) if referring to that brand, or “heat stick.” Some refer to using it as “heat-smoking” or just “smoking” since it uses tobacco.
Risks
Heat-not-burn devices deliver nicotine and real tobacco chemicals, just at lower levels than a burning cigarette. The long-term health impact is not fully known because they are new. It still can affect lungs (some users report irritation). From a mental standpoint, it’s nicotine and tobacco so addiction, withdrawal, and potential gateway to regular smoking or dual use with cigarettes.
What to look out for:
If your child is using a heat-not-burn device, you might notice packs of the tobacco sticks. These packs often have branding and are smaller than cigarette packs. For example, HEETS packs are a bit smaller and usually white with a coloured stripe (indicating flavour). The sticks themselves might be left in ashtrays or bins they look like short cigarette butts. Also check for a device and charger an IQOS kit has a charging case (like a small powerbank) and the holder. Smell-wise, you might catch a faint whiff of tobacco scent when it’s used, but far less than a cigarette. Teens might think they can hide it easily because it doesn’t billow smoke they could use it in their room with a window open and you might not notice immediately. Look for the butts (used sticks) they’ll be small and white with a brown end.
What The Law Says
Heat-not-burn tobacco sticks are legally considered tobacco products. So all laws about age 18+ sales apply. They also by law must have health warnings on packs. The IQOS devices themselves are just devices (no nicotine on their own), so they aren’t age-restricted to buy the gadget, but of course under-18s can’t buy the tobacco refills.
Price
An IQOS device starter kit might be £50-£80. The HEETS packs of 20 cost around £5-6, which is about half the price of 20 cigarettes. So running costs are cheaper than smoking but more than vaping.
Synthetic Cannabinoids (Spice, K2, “Fake Weed”)
What they are:
Synthetic cannabinoids are lab-made chemicals designed to mimic the effect of THC, the active ingredient in cannabis. They are often sold sprayed onto herbal material to look like cannabis, or sometimes as liquids for vapes. In the UK, the most notorious is Spice (also called “Mamba” in some regions).
These drugs were initially sold legally as “herbal incense” or “research chemicals” with brand names like Spice, K2, Black Mamba, etc., but are now illegal Class B substances (since 2016). They have a nasty reputation for causing severe reactions. You may have seen media reports of “zombie-like” states in users.
What they look like:
The herbal form looks like potpourri or dried herbs often greenish dried plant matter, but not actual cannabis leaves. It’s usually sold in small foil packets or baggies, often brightly coloured with trippy designs, and labeled “not for human consumption” (to try to evade law). The packets may have names like those above. Synthetic cannabinoids can also come as a liquid for vaping and illegal sellers have been known to put liquid in the vapes that are being sold on the black market.
What Do Young People Call Them?
“Spice” is the generic term most use now for any synthetic cannabinoid product. Other names/brands include “K2”, “Black Mamba”, “Annihilation”, “Clockwork Orange”, “Exodus” – many fanciful names. On the street, people might just say “fake weed,” “man-made weed,” or for a specific product, its brand like “I tried some Spice Gold.” In homeless communities, Spice is common (sometimes called simply “No. 2” or “Mamba”). A teen might joke about someone “going all zombie on Spice.”
Risks
Synthetic cannabinoids can be far more potent and unpredictable than natural cannabis. They act on the same brain receptors as THC but with potentially stronger effects.
Risks include: extreme anxiety and paranoia, hallucinations, psychotic episodes (even in people with no mental illness history). They can also cause serious physical reactions vomiting, heart palpitations, seizures, or passing out. People on a bad Spice trip might behave very erratically or be almost catatonic (“zombie”). There have been hospitalisations and even deaths. It’s also quite addictive users can develop a strong dependency with nasty withdrawal symptoms (sweats, tremors, mood swings).
For teens, this drug is especially dangerous because they might not know what they’re getting. One batch might be relatively mild, another could be 100 times stronger there’s no consistency. Some synthetic cannabinoids have been found to trigger psychosis that lasts weeks in susceptible people.
Physically, there are reports of kidney injury and other organ damage in severe cases. Overdose signs include severe confusion, chest pain, or psychotic aggression.
What to look out for:
The behavioural signs can be extreme: someone on Spice might suddenly become very lethargic, unresponsive, or conversely panicky and delusional. If a teen smoked Spice, they might appear disoriented, with a blank stare, wobbling or collapsing. It’s not subtle if you see a video of “Spice zombies,” it’s striking. However, a mild use might just seem like an intense cannabis high with more confusion.
Physical signs: elevated heart rate, sweating, and possibly twitching. If they vape it, the smell might be a harsh burnt chemical odor, not like regular cannabis. If smoked as herbal incense, there’s a distinctive sweet but plastic-y smell when it burns. Look for those foil packets or baggies with odd branding in their room or trash. The packets often have names or artwork (cartoon characters, etc).
Also, if your child has paraphernalia like a small pipe that smells weird (not like tobacco or cannabis), that could be for Spice or other research chemicals.
What The Law Says
Synthetic cannabinoids (Spice and similar) are Class B illegal drugs same category as cannabis itself. That means possession could lead to up to 5 years in prison and supply up to 14 years, though again actual penalties depend on quantity and circumstance. Additionally, the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016 makes it illegal to produce, supply, or import any psychoactive substance not exempt (even if not specifically Class A/B/C). Spice falls under this too.
Price
Synthetic cannabinoids, commonly known as “Spice” or “Mamba,” are often sold at low prices on the black market in the UK. Multiple doses can cost as little as £5.
HHC and Other “Legal High” Cannabinoids (The New Wave)
What they are:
With Spice now illegal, the quest for legal highs has continued. One emerging substance is HHC (Hexahydrocannabinol). HHC is a semi-synthetic cannabinoid basically a hydrogenated form of THC. It gained popularity because it sat in a legal grey area for a time (not explicitly illegal in some places). Sellers have touted HHC vapes or gummies as a “legal weed” alternative.
Often vaped, HHC distillate can be put in cartridges similar to THC oil carts. Also edibles (gummies) or sprayed hemp flower (CBD buds sprayed with HHC to smoke). The experience is said to be milder than THC but still a high.
What they look like:
The herbal form looks like potpourri or dried herbs often greenish dried plant matter, but not actual cannabis leaves. It’s usually sold in small foil packets or baggies, often brightly coloured with trippy designs, and labeled “not for human consumption” (to try to evade law). The packets may have names like those above. Synthetic cannabinoids can also come as a liquid for vaping and illegal sellers have been known to put liquid in the vapes that are being sold on the black market.
What Do Young People Call Them?
“Spice” is the generic term most use now for any synthetic cannabinoid product. Other names/brands include “K2”, “Black Mamba”, “Annihilation”, “Clockwork Orange”, “Exodus” – many fanciful names. On the street, people might just say “fake weed,” “man-made weed,” or for a specific product, its brand like “I tried some Spice Gold.” In homeless communities, Spice is common (sometimes called simply “No. 2” or “Mamba”). A teen might joke about someone “going all zombie on Spice.”
Risks
Since HHC is very new, there’s scant research on its health impact. It can cause the typical THC side effects: anxiety, dry mouth, increased appetite, etc. We should assume all risks of regular cannabis apply, plus unknown extra risks since it’s novel.
What to look out for:
If a teen is using HHC, it will look much like cannabis use, just with different packaging. For instance, HHC vape carts might be labeled as such. Maybe you find a box or wrapper that says “HHC 90%” or some brand claiming legal high. Gummies might be labeled with HHC or just look like off-brand candies. Physically, the signs of being high on HHC are similar to weed (red eyes, giggles, munchies).
What The Law Says
HHC exists in a legal grey area. It wasn’t explicitly listed under the Misuse of Drugs Act initially. However, the UK’s Psychoactive Substances Act means selling it for human consumption is illegal anyway. Essentially, it’s legal to possess HHC, but illegal to sell or give it.
Price
Prices of the vape cartirges typically range from £30 to £70 per cartridge, depending on the HHC concentration and quality.
HHC-infused edibles, like gummies, are generally priced between £15 and £30 per serving, influenced by dosage and quality
What’s Changing in the Law?
New legislation in the UK aims to address the rise in youth vaping and environmental concerns associated with disposable vapes.
Ban on Disposable Vapes
Starting 1 June 2025, the sale and supply of single-use (disposable) vapes will be prohibited across the UK. This measure targets the environmental impact of disposable vapes, as approximately five million are discarded each week, contributing to significant waste and pollution.
Tobacco and Vapes Bill
The UK Government is bringing in new laws to help protect young people from harmful nicotine products. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill, introduced in November 2024, is currently being reviewed in Parliament. If it goes ahead, most of the new rules will start from 2025 and 2026. The new rules will look like:
Creating a Smoke-Free Generation
This law would make it illegal to sell tobacco to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009. That means if your child is under 15 now, they may never be allowed to buy cigarettes in their lifetime.
Vapes and Nicotine Pouches
The new rules will ban disposable vapes from 1 June 2025 and bring in limits on flavours, packaging and shop displays. Nicotine pouches, which are still legal to sell to children, will be banned for under-18s.
Cracking Down On Illegal Sales
Shops will have to register to sell tobacco or vapes, and penalties will be tougher for anyone caught selling to children or trading illegal products.