Dundee PhD student Laura Young has inspired the Scottish Government to consider banning disposable vapes.
Laura Young is a climate activist and influencer based in Dundee.
She has been fighting to ban disposable vapes for the last six months.
In recent weeks, she walked around Dundee and gathered a shocking one vape a minute.
Laura hopes to bring a petition to the Scottish Government to encourage a ban on disposable vapes.
“I’m thrilled, I’m so happy,” Laura told The Courier.
“I think it’s great, because it is saying clear as day that there are issues with disposable vapes and we want to look at the best ways to get rid of them.
“And that potentially could be a ban.”
Scottish Government will consider a potential ban on disposable vapes
Green MSP Gillian Mackay today asked the Scottish Government what work is under way to examine the impact of vapes on public health.
“As well as being an issue for public health, they are an issue for the environment,” she said.
Gillian asked health secretary Humza Yousaf whether he would support a ban on single-use vapes.
Mr Yousaf made “special mention” of Dundee’s Laura Young.
“She has done an incredible job going around the country picking up these vapes that are undoubtedly causing environmental harm.”
The health secretary said he would work together with the Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity and “ask stakeholders with the relevant expertise to examine the evidence and assess what actions the Scottish Government and other partners should take.
“That will include the consideration of a potential ban.”
Dundee city centre has become ‘dumping ground’ for disposable vapes
“I couldn’t have asked for a better outcome,” Laura continued.
“It shows that they are open to getting rid of these harmful items.
“He [Humza Yousaf] recognised both the health and the environmental impact they have.”
Mercedes Villalba is Labour MSP for North East Scotland.
The MSP added: “Dundee city centre has become such a dumping ground for disposable vapes that it is risking public health.
“Ministers should examine expanding the ban on single-use plastics to include disposable vapes and e-cigarettes. And in the meantime introduce interim measures to support local authorities in recycling them.”
In a visit to a recycling centre in Glasgow, Laura discovered that staff did not know where the disposable vapes were meant to go.
“It makes me think that if one doesn’t know they all probably will have uncertainties with it,” Laura told The Courier.
“After all the work that has been done to raise awareness about these issues, it has still not trickled through to the waste industry yet.”
It must be official! The Vape Crusader makes it into parliament 💨❌ Thank you @GillianMacMSP and @HumzaYousaf for addressing the issue of single-use disposable vapes today. #BanDisposableVapes pic.twitter.com/4SzatyTi6I
— Laura Young (@LessWasteLaura) January 19, 2023
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