A Dumfries and Galloway councillor has called for the introduction of a ban on disposable vapes in Scotland.
Tony Berretti has warned that the full health consequences of the smoking devices remain unknown.
And he shares the serious concerns of groups such as the Marine Conservation Society about the impact that discarded vapes are having on the environment.
In a motion he tabled at last week’s full council meeting, Mr Berretti said: “Dumfries and Galloway Council notes that the health implications from disposable vapes, those with nicotine and those without nicotine, have been shown from research in Australia and the USA, that the liquid content to contain substances of petrochemical origin, from which the full health consequences have not been fully researched and understood.
“Targeting of marketing and advertising towards children and young people is at odds with our stated claim to help improve both the health and wellbeing of these age groups.
“In the UK each week 1.3 million disposable vapes are discarded and although the number in Dumfries and Galloway is unknown, based on UK figures, approximately 10 tonnes of minerals of which lithium, Cobalt, Manganese, Nickle and Copper, all valuable minerals crucial for electric car batteries and a growing range of electronic devices, are being lost without
recovery.
“The impact of this is creating a new litter hazard across our streets and countryside, contributing to plastic and toxic chemical pollution in land and sea.”
The motion, seconded by Stranraer and the Rhins Councillor Ben Dashper, suggests that fire crews are having to deal with blazes caused by disposable vapes in waste sorting centres and bin lorries.
It also underlined the fact that there is no secure method for the collection, sorting or storage of disposable vapes.
Councillor Berretti argues that the flimsy batteries in vapes means that this is “thousands of accidents waiting to happen”.
He added: “Dumfries and Galloway Council therefore agrees to support the campaign by the Marine Conservation Society, Ash Scotland and Keep Scotland Beautiful to ban the manufacture and sale of disposable vapes in
Scotland.”
Mr Berretti asked the council to write to Scottish Government ministers and the head of Zero Waste Scotland about introducing a ban on the sale of disposable vapes as soon as possible.
Councillors also agreed to progress a safer disposal arrangement of vapes through the council’s waste services.
