LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) – Disposable e-cigarettes will be banned in the United Kingdom next year to protect children’s health and combat a “throwaway” culture, ministers said on Thursday.

Public Health and Prevention Minister Andrew Gwynne said it was “deeply concerning” that a quarter of children aged 11 to 15 used e-cigarettes last year.

“Banning disposable e-cigarettes will not only protect the environment, but will also significantly reduce the appeal of e-cigarettes to children and keep them out of the hands of vulnerable young people,” he said.

Plans to ban disposable e-cigarettes were first announced by the previous Conservative government in January but were not enacted before it lost power in July.

The new Labor government will continue to implement the plan in the Tobacco and Electronic Cigarette Bill.

Gwynne called the law “the biggest public health intervention in a generation”, adding that it would “protect young people from becoming addicted to nicotine and pave the way for a smoke-free UK”.

Deputy Environment Minister Mary Creagh said discarded e-cigarettes were “extreme waste” and a “disaster” contributing to the flood of litter on the nation’s streets.

According to the government, e-cigarette use in the UK has increased by more than 400 per cent between 2012 and 2023, with 9.1 per cent of the public now using them.

“The long-term health effects of electronic cigarettes are unknown and the nicotine they contain can be highly addictive,” the statement said.

Disposable e-cigarettes will be banned in England from June 1, the government said, adding that it was working closely with the devolved governments in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland to “harmonise the introduction dates” in the four UK countries.