Post-Ban Shift: UK Vapers Embrace Reusables But Face Illicit Markets and Misconceptions

LONDON — New data reveals a significant pivot toward reusable vaping devices in the UK following the nationwide ban on single-use vapes, though unintended consequences—including a resurgence in smoking and a booming illicit market—threaten harm reduction progress.

The July 2025 survey of 6,000 UK vapers and smokers, commissioned by Elfbar and conducted by independent research firm Opinium, shows 85% of regular vapers now opt for reusable devices. Among 1.5 million frequent users of Elfbar and Lost Mary reusables, 84% purchase refills, signaling a move toward sustainability. Just 8% treat reusables as disposable by buying new kits each time.

Why the Switch?

Top reasons for transitioning from single-use devices include:

• Similar price (33%)
• Familiar design (31%)
• Ease of use (30%)
• Sustainability lagged at 26%, trailing practical concerns like quality (30%).

Unintended Backlash

Despite progress, 26% of former single-use vapers reported restarting smoking, increasing tobacco use, or buying illegal devices since the ban. The illicit market now infiltrates communities:

• 26% of current vapers admit purchasing illegal vapes.
• 22% know of local illegal sales in the past three months.
  Critics spotlight a legal loophole allowing single-use imports for re-export; 64% of respondents demand its closure.

Recycling Gap

Awareness of responsible disposal is strong (77%), but access remains flawed:

• 37% save devices for recycling points; 23% return to waste-accepting locations.
• Yet 18% toss devices in household bins, and 12% found no in-store recycling options.
  Over half (52%) call for more accessible collection points; 49% want mandatory in-store bins.

Flavors and Quitting Success

Flavors proved vital for harm reduction:

• 57% use fruit/sweet flavors; 63% say variety keeps them smoke-free.
• Restricting flavors to tobacco/menthol could push 770,000 vapers back to cigarettes.
  Vaping also dominates cessation tools—50% of ex-smokers used e-cigarettes to quit, dwarfing patches (22%) or gum (20%).

Rising Misconceptions

Harm misperceptions surged to 51% wrongly believing vaping equals or exceeds smoking risks, up 9 points since 2024. Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) notes this deters smokers from switching—a “deeply concerning” trend given vaping’s role in helping 55% of current users quit.

Eve Peters, Elfbar’s UK Director of Government Affairs, urged policy action:

“We need a retailer licensing scheme requiring take-back services, a national anti-illicit strategy, and an import ban on single-use vapes. These steps are critical to achieving smokefree goals.”

The data highlights a public health crossroad: reusable adoption signals progress, yet regulatory gaps and misinformation threaten to undermine vaping’s harm-reduction potential.