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The Times guide on supporting teenagers to quit vaping
A guide published in The Times offers advice for parents on discussing vaping with children and supporting those who may be using e-cigarettes. It notes that vaping is increasingly common among young people and can be easily concealed, leaving parents uncertain about their child’s habits.
It suggests open, informal conversations in low-pressure settings to encourage honest dialogue, emphasising support over judgement. A GP cited in the guide recommends helping teens understand nicotine dependence, recognise potential risks, and focus on immediate benefits of reducing or stopping use, while providing practical encouragement and coping strategies. It highlights that professional support is limited for young people struggling to quit, and that parents or schools often initiate intervention.
Source: The Sunday Times, 1 November 2025
Editorial note: The NCSCT provides resources and guidance on stopping vaping for those working with young people. Smokefree Sheffield and ASH have published an updated set of youth vaping resources to support schools, colleges, youth settings and safeguarding leads to have evidence-based conversations about vaping.
See also - Young people and stopping vaping – NCSCT | Use of vapes (e-cigarettes) among young people in Great Britain – ASH | Youth vaping: the facts - ASH
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Warning issued over fire risks from discarded vape batteries
Waste management company Biffa has warned of a rising number of fires linked to disposable vapes being thrown into household and recycling bins. Since June, more than 180 fires have occurred across the company’s UK facilities, caused by lithium-ion batteries igniting after being damaged during waste processing. Around 7,000 vapes a day enter Biffa’s centres, with numbers increasing despite the recent ban on disposable devices.
These batteries can overheat and explode when crushed, posing a serious risk to workers, machinery and the environment. One incident at a recycling plant in Walsall resulted in extensive damage and a costly rebuild. Retailers in the UK are legally required to accept returned vapes for proper disposal, and safety campaigners have urged the public to use this system or specialised recycling centres to prevent further incidents.
Source: The Independent, 31 October 2025
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Urgent reforms needed to prevent health-related workforce losses
The Royal Society of Public Health (RSPH) has warned that an additional 600,000 people could leave the UK workforce over the next decade due to long-term health conditions unless both employers and government strengthen support for employee wellbeing. The RSPH calls for a fundamental shift in workplace health provision, including a national standard ensuring all employees receive minimum support. Conditions such as musculoskeletal disorders, mental health issues and cardiovascular disease are key contributors to declining workforce participation.
The Health Foundation emphasises that early action and specialist support, such as caseworkers, could help employees remain healthy and in work. A government spokesperson notes that the 10-year health plan prioritises prevention, supporting frontline health professionals to deliver personalised care and interventions that help people stay healthy and remain in work.
These recommendations coincide with the upcoming Keep Britain Working review, which aims to guide employers and policymakers on creating healthier, more inclusive workplaces and reducing economic inactivity.
See also: Economic impact of smoking - ASH
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Maldives introduces generational ban on tobacco use
The Maldives has become the first nation to enforce a lifelong smoking ban for anyone born from 1 January 2007 onwards, as part of an effort to create a tobacco-free generation. The new law, effective from 1 November, prohibits the sale, purchase and use of tobacco products by this age group, with retailers required to check identification before selling. The restrictions extend to all forms of tobacco and include visitors to the country. A nationwide ban on importing, selling or using e-cigarettes and vaping products remains in place for all ages.
Source: The Guardian, 1 November 2025
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Study links tobacco retailer exposure to increased smoking
A recent study published in JAMA Network Open by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania has found that smokers are more likely to crave and smoke more cigarettes when they spend greater time near places that sell tobacco. Using mobile phone location data, the research team tracked 273 adults in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware over a two-week period, comparing their movements to a database of more than 36,000 tobacco retailers.
The study showed that participants reported stronger cravings and higher cigarette use on days when their exposure to tobacco outlets was greater, even within the previous hour. The findings indicate that proximity to tobacco retailers can have a direct and immediate impact on smoking behaviour. Researchers say the results underline how environmental factors contribute to addiction and suggest that reducing the concentration of tobacco outlets could help lower smoking rates, particularly in communities with fewer resources.
Source: The Charlotte Post, 2 November 2025
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Discarded cigarette butts linked to spread of antibiotic resistance
New research across 35 Chinese cities has found that cigarette butts may contribute to the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Scientists collected samples from more than 100 public parks and discovered over 90 bacterial strains on discarded cigarettes that had developed resistance to common antibiotics. The study suggests that bacteria originating from smokers’ mouths interact with toxic chemicals in cigarette waste, allowing resistant genes to thrive and enter the environment.
Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the findings indicate that cigarette litter could serve as a reservoir for harmful microbes capable of spreading to humans and wildlife. Researchers warn that this overlooked source of contamination could exacerbate the global rise of antimicrobial resistance, which already poses a serious public health challenge. Experts have called for stronger litter control and waste management measures to limit such risks and prevent further environmental transmission.
Source: The Telegraph, 31 October 2025
See also: The Great Cigarette Filter Fraud - ASH
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Australian supermarkets reconsider selling tobacco amid declining retail sales
Australian retailers are re-evaluating their sale of tobacco as legal sales decline and illicit sales allegedly increase. Recent financial reports show major supermarket chains and wholesalers experiencing declines in cigarette revenue, with Woolworths down 51 per cent compared with the previous year and Coles reporting a 30 per cent drop.
One retail chain attributes the downturn to the inclusion of new anti-smoking messages on cigarette packaging. The article cites data from the tobacco industry which claims that the illicit trade accounts for 39 per cent of sales. Some retailers have begun removing cigarettes from some stores, citing low legal sales and frustration over unregulated competition, while calls intensify for stronger government action against landlords enabling illegal tobacco outlets.
Source: Australian Associated Press, 31 October 2025
Editorial note: Evidence shows that plain tobacco packaging is not linked to increases the illicit trade, despite tobacco industry claims. In the UK, the illicit market for cigarettes continued to decline following the introduction of standardised packaging.
Tobacco taxes are considered the single most effective way to reduce smoking rates according to the World Bank and WHO. This is clear when we look at the UK, where the number of illicit cigarettes consumed has fallen by almost 90% since the turn of the century, while the price of an average pack of cigarettes has more than tripled. This has been achieved through an effective UK enforcement strategy, alongside measures that have significantly reduced smoking rates – cutting demand for both legal and illegal tobacco.
In contrast to the UK, Australia has a much more fragmented approach to enforcement, with different laws, enforcement powers, and funding across states and territories. Read more about this here: Policy incoherence: Leadership needed to combat illicit tobacco and end tobacco oversupply. In addition, the type of criminality associated with the illicit trade in Australia does not appear to be widespread in the UK. Despite the challenges faced in Australia, high tobacco taxes and other public health measures have been effective at reducing smoking prevalence to around 11% as of 2022-23.
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House of Lords scrutiny of Tobacco and Vapes Bill
The House of Lords continued detailed scrutiny of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill on 30 October, examining proposed amendments including regional sales reporting by manufacturers and importers, as well as measures to strengthen age verification and restrict online sales of tobacco and high-strength oral nicotine products. The debate also considered proposals for a “polluter pays” levy on tobacco industry profits and the long-term goal of phasing out tobacco.
Source: UK Parliament, 30 October 2025
See also: The Tobacco and Vapes Bill - ASH
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ASH Daily News is a digest of published news on smoking-related topics. ASH is not responsible for the content of external websites. ASH does not necessarily endorse the material contained in this bulletin.
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