Pressure is building from the public, from health experts and from around the globe for a disposable vapes ban. Since we launched our campaign to axe these single-use plastic products in January, the Record has repeatedly highlighted the environmental risks and litter menace posed by these gadgets.
But there’s also growing evidence of a dangerous trend among youngsters for these throwaway, fruity brands that could lead to a public health nightmare later. The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health is the latest medical authority to back a ban, with a stark warning that vaping for young people could lead to smoking down the line.
Ministers at Holyrood considering a ban on these products should listen to Scotland’s child doctors very carefully. These products, like alcohol and cigarettes, are supposed to be restricted to those 18 and over.
Yet we know far too many unscrupulous retailers would rather make a quick buck and let vapes flood our schools. And this isn’t only a problem in Scotland or the UK. This is happening all around the world.
That’s why groups like the WWF – and activists like Scotland’s “vape crusader” Laura Young – are urging diplomats at UN plastic pollution talks in Paris this week to implement a worldwide ban on single-use vapes. Because the environmental toll is also mounting before our eyes.
More than a million disposable e-cig devices are chucked away in the UK every week – swamping our streets and public spaces with outrageous levels of litter. That’s why it’s time for Holyrood and Westminster to sit down and find a way to get these things off the shelves for the good of the planet and the health of our children.
It’s a fresh start
The launch of Glasgow’s Low Emission Zone marks a new era for the city. Talking to locals yesterday, it’s clear support is growing for the scheme – now applicable to all cars entering the square mile city centre zone.
There’s evidence it will improve public health by getting the worst-polluting cars off the road and bringing down nitrogen dioxide levels. That, in turn, might actually improve traffic flow for those cars that are cleaner and compliant with the new rules.
In fact, last year, Glasgow met its air quality targets for the first time besides the Covid year of 2020, with experts suggesting this is because the LEZ was already in place for buses. It’s vital that the worries of trades such as hospitality and taxis are taken into account, with some fearing this will be another blow to Glasgow’s struggling night-time economy.
But many seem to feel the LEZ is a massive step in the right direction.
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