Public health officials from across the East Midlands including Lincolnshire want a regional crackdown on the “concerning” and “inappropriate” illegal sale and marketing of vapes to under 18s.
It comes as Lincolnshire County Council also made an appeal to residents to dispose of them correctly as it said they’d caused more than 60 fires last year alone.
It’s one of the authorities signing an official joint statement on vaping, endorsed by the association of directors of Public Health for the East Midlands which states: “For people who smoke, vaping is much safer; if you don’t smoke, don’t vape.”
It details: “Though not risk-free, vaping is considerably safer than smoking. As such, smokers across the East Midlands are encouraged to switch to vaping to reduce the harm from combustible tobacco.
“E-cigarettes are an age restricted product, and we are against inappropriate marketing practices that promote them to under 18s.
“Trading Standards should be given the tools necessary to undertake enforcement work and other measures to protect children and young people across the East Midlands.
“E-cigarettes are not for children, and their use should be reserved exclusively for adult smokers.
“The increase in youth vaping is concerning,”
Meanwhile Lincolnshire County Council and Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue have issued a warning to not put disposable vapes in the bin.
Rachel Stamp, waste partnership and projects manager, said: “The term ‘disposable’ is really misleading! All vapes contain a battery, and if you throw them in your bin, they can be damaged during processing which causes a spark that can start a fire. This has led to fires in bin lorries and at our recycling sites.
“General waste and recycling gets compacted a number of times on its journey from your home to the energy from waste plant or recycling centre, and it takes just one battery or vape to set the whole load alight.”
There is currently a plan to stop the sale of disposable vapes by the end of 2025 – this is partly due to their effect on the environment. It’s believed that up to five million disposable vapes are thrown away every week.
Each of Lincolnshire’s 11 recycling centres have specific containers for vapes, batteries, and small and large electrical items. Batteries can also be taken to recycling points in most supermarkets and other shops that sell them.
Although the dangers of binning batteries and vapes are becoming more well-known, there are still regular fires occurring in Lincolnshire due to incorrectly discarded electronics.
Dan Moss, area manager for prevention and protection at Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue, said: “Fires at waste sites or in vehicles can often be difficult to extinguish, and can have serious effects on the environment, and the safety of firefighters and local communities.
“As waste is compacted and bulked together, there’s plenty of material for fire to spread quickly, and, depending on the type of waste burning, the fumes can be dangerous.
“If residents have old vapes or other battery devices or electricals to get rid of, I’d encourage them to think carefully about the most appropriate way to recycle them.”
