Vape ban 'helps stop children getting addicted'

The upcoming disposable vape ban will help "prevent a new generation of nicotine-addicted young people", Wales' leading public health body has said.
Public Health Wales (PHW) said it was important to learn from the experience with tobacco and "work as hard as possible to prevent the use and uptake of vapes by children and young people".
Single-use disposable vapes will be banned across the UK from 1 June as part of efforts to protect children's health and prevent environmental damage.
The UK Vaping Industry Association has been approached for comment, but previously said a ban would increase illegal sales.
Disposable vape ban in Wales to start in 2025
Why are disposable vapes being banned and how harmful is vaping?
PHW said disposable vapes were "cheap, easy to use and widely available" and appealed to children.
It added that most contained nicotine, which affected concentration, memory and the ability to learn when consumed regularly.
Mary-Ann McKibben, consultant in public health at PHW, said: "While vaping is safer than smoking for adults, it is not risk–free and we do not yet have a comprehensive understanding of the long-term health effects."
She called the ban an "important step" towards preventing a generation of young people addicted to nicotine.
Data in Wales shows that 7% of people aged 11 to 16 use vapes weekly, up from 5.4% in 2021. For 15 and 16-year-olds it is 15.9%, up from 13.6%.
Keep Wales Tidy estimates that 360,000 single use vapes are dropped on the floor each year, while 120,000 are flushed down the toilet.
People at the Urdd Eisteddfod in Neath Port Talbot were largely supportive of the ban.
Anna Sitori, 18, from Swansea, said vaping was a "real issue" that she often sees at school and parties and this would "really help crack down" on it.
Steffan Thomas, 19, from Swansea, believes many of his friends who vape would stop due to the ban, but felt some could resort to smoking tobacco.
In Swansea, Kyle Evans, from Aberdare, Rhonda Cynon Taf, described the ban as "ridiculous" as it was a helpful way to quit smoking.
He added: "People need to put them away properly, dispose of them properly and there shouldn't be a ban."
Crimestoppers said it was stepping up its efforts to combat the illegal sale of vapes in the wake of the ban because "unscrupulous vendors will continue to sell these products illegally".
"These products pose serious health risks – they are unregulated, untested, and may contain dangerously high levels of nicotine and harmful substances such as lead and nickel," it said.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme when the ban was announced, John Dunne, director general of UKVIA, said authorities already struggled to tackle the black market, even without a ban.
He said the association wanted the UK government to instead introduce a licensing scheme for retailers and distributors.

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USA Today

21 hours ago

• USA Today

I'm exhausted by attempts to pretend discrimination doesn't exist in America

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While we were waiting, a Black woman was selling some shoes and seemed unhappy with what was being offered to her. When the cashier called for the next customer, the older woman accidentally bumped into her, which sparked a verbal altercation. The Black woman began cursing, expressing her frustration about people who bump into her without saying "excuse me." Although the older woman apologized, it only seemed to escalate the situation, as the woman continued to curse and insult her. After both women left the store, several employees asked what had just happened, and I felt compelled to explain the situation. After the incident, I called my cousin and mentioned that I had experienced "Black fatigue" because I felt that the woman's behavior was out of line. My cousin told me that I was misusing the term. Winters and Ceasar both agreed that racism is rarely the result of a single action; it is much more complex than that. While they did not condone the actions of the woman for shouting, Ceasar acknowledged that her outburst might have stemmed from the many times she had been ignored, overlooked as if she did not exist, or made to feel devalued. If Black fatigue can negatively impact on a person's mind, body and spirit, it can also lead to diminished emotional well-being, sometimes manifesting as outbursts to seek acknowledgment. If you find yourself using the term to express disappointment about something bad happening in the world, take a moment to consider how you express that. If your feelings are not specifically related to race, then your fatigue may not be about racial issues at all. It might be about human nature. However, if you believe that only Black people are capable of negative actions and continue to use the term in that context, it might be necessary to reflect on your own biases. That's what I'm tired of. James E. Causey is an Ideas Lab reporter at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, where this column originally appeared. Reach him at jcausey@jrnhttps:// or follow him on X: @jecausey

Miami Herald

2 days ago

• Miami Herald

Former Spy Chief: ‘Good Case' for US To Strike Iranian Nuclear Site

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Yahoo

4 days ago

• Yahoo

7 Brew to open locations in 16 states this summer. See list

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