UK Government to Ban Disposable Vapes

UK Government to Ban Disposable Vapes
Image copyright: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images News via Getty Images

The Facts

  • The UK government announced a plan on Sunday to ban the sale of disposable vapes as part of an effort to tackle the rise in young people vaping.

  • While it's already illegal to sell vapes to anyone under the age of eighteen, according to the UK government disposable vapes, which are often much cheaper and come in smaller more colorful packaging, are a "key driver behind the alarming rise in youth vaping."


The Spin

Narrative A

Vaping is addictive and causes people to inhale harmful chemicals whose long-term impacts have not been fully studied. This law is a step in the right direction toward preventing children from vaping.

Narrative B

It's reasonable of course to restrict access to vaping products for children. That said, it's important to be wary of alarmist state overreach — like installing anti-vape sensors and close-circuit televisions in schools that bring up serious privacy concerns.


Metaculus Prediction


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