Blowing off steam: hazards and addiction of disposable vapes

I stopped smoking some time in mid February. I can’t even remember the exact date. Perhaps because the «when» part isn’t as important as the fact that I finally managed to quit after about 30 years. Rather than my steely resolve, the catalyst was more classic addiction replacement. By that I mean I still inhale nicotine, just in a different form: vaping instead of smoking.

Disposable vapes also played a role in my gradual transition from tobacco cigarettes to e-cigs, at least in the beginning. I bought a few to see if they’d work for me. Over time, this led to my first reusable, cartridge-system vaporiser. Nowadays, I exclusively vape with an e-cigarette, which I fill with nicotine liquid.

At this point, you might argue that I should be the last person to demonise disposable vapes. And you could even be right, but that’s still how I feel about them. Looking back, I could have easily bypassed the disposable vape stage. As the saying goes: hindsight is a great thing. And it’s true given what I now know about the substantial disadvantages of disposable vapes for people and the environment.

Opium for young people

When I stand in front of a display of disposable vapes, I feel like I’m in a sweet shop. They come in a wide array of colours, while some light up or flash with each puff. Then there are the alluring, fruity-sweet flavours such as pink lemonade, guava kiwi passion fruit and peach mango smoothie. They’re always being advertised by influencers – some lesser or better known – on social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok. In short, the target audience for disposable vapes is obviously the young.

So far, so bad. After all, disposable vapes don’t just appeal to young adults. They also entice a lot of those who are underage, which is becoming an increasing problem. Or already has, as Sucht Schweiz, a Swiss non-profit supporting those with addiction, reported with concern in 2023. There are two sides to the same coin. While a chocolate strawberry cheesecake vape can stop a man of advanced years like myself from smoking, it can also entice a 15-year-old who’s never smoked before into starting a nicotine addiction. That’s bad. Very bad.

As readily available as chewing gum

A few years ago, I had to buy my first disposable vapes in specialist shops as they weren’t available anywhere else. Now, you can get hold of them at newsagents and retailers. Yes, we also sell heaps of disposable vapes in our online shop. Until the recent reprimand by the Swiss working group for tobacco prevention (Arbeitsgemeinschaft Tabakprävention Schweiz) because of apparent illegal models, we had even more in our range. Sales of e-cigarettes have skyrocketed in recent years, especially disposable versions. So it’s hardly surprising that everyone wants a piece of the pie.

The fact that practically everyone in Switzerland can get their hands on e-cigarettes anywhere and at any time is due to there being no set rules, including for how they’re sold. At present, vapes are still considered everyday objects under Swiss law and fall within the scope of the Foodstuffs Act. There are currently no legal provisions for the protection of minors at a national level, but this is about to change. In the new Tobacco Products Act, expected to come into force in mid-2024, e-cigarettes will be treated the same way as tobacco products, meaning it’ll be illegal for anyone to sell them to under-18s.

Irrespective of this, selling e-cigarettes to minors has already been outlawed in eleven cantons, including the whole of French-speaking Switzerland. What’s more, industry representatives, such as the Swiss Vape Trade Association", have been bound by sales rules for years now in the interests of protecting minors. Which is laudable. At the same time, it illustrates the problems that the existing patchwork entails with all its loopholes when it comes to protecting minors.

Correct disposal

Throwaway e-cigs are mainly made of plastic, but that’s not the only component. To make matters worse, they feature a lithium-ion battery that keeps them running as long as you puff on them. That’s why they shouldn’t go in general household waste or plastic recycling. An increase in fires at recycling points is testament to the fact that vapes and other devices are often disposed of incorrectly or instructions ignored, as was recently reported by the Swiss consumer TV programme Kassensturz.

As there are no official regulations for the disposal of single-use vapes in Europe or Switzerland, the Swiss Vape Trade Association recommends taking the same approach as with batteries or returning them to an association member’s store. Because of their rechargeable batteries, reusable vapes, on the other hand, need to go in the electrical waste bin.

To ban or not to ban, that’s the question

34 countries have already banned single-use vapes or introduced legislation to that effect, including Australia, the UK and France, in line with the World Health Organization, which urgently called on governments to take action against e-cigarettes at the end of 2023. This is because there are still no regulations surrounding it in many countries, such as the legal minimum age you can buy them. If the new Tobacco Products Act comes into force in Switzerland next June, we’ll at least be one step further forward in this respect.

A ban on disposable vapes in this country seems illusory in view of the strong lobby, even if there are isolated calls for this from political and medical figures. The Swiss Federal Council has also recognised that these devices are a problem in terms of their addictive potential and environmental impact. However, it’s as yet rejected any concrete measures linked to the new Tobacco Products Act. There’s also ongoing work to improve e-cigarette recycling.

Regulating and controlling instead of banning

As a former smoker and continual nicotine addict, I like e-cigarettes. But this doesn’t change the fact that I think disposable vapes are an epidemic for the reasons mentioned above and that we’d be better off without them. However, as the saying goes: hindsight is always 20/20. These things are here to stay, as they fit perfectly into our throwaway society despite our efforts to the contrary. Banning them would only solve the problem at surface level and merely create new ones, such as a vape black market. It’d just be like US prohibition all over again.

Instead of a ban, clear rules are needed regarding the purchase, sale and trade of e-cigarettes, especially disposable vapes. Rules that go beyond the law that’s about to come into force. Rules that are more strictly controlled by the authorities. Rules that allow me and other responsible citizens to keep our hands off tobacco and still give in to our nicotine addiction. Disposable vapes aren’t needed at all, which brings us back full circle.