More than seven in 10 Scots are worried about the eco impact of disposable vapes.
Poll findings for Asthma and Lung UK Scotland, shared with the Record, come alongside our campaign to outlaw the single-use devices, which are a growing litter menace.
The Opinion Matters survey of 1000 Scots shows more than a quarter (27 per cent) are “extremely concerned” about environmental damage from disposable e-cigs. A further 44 per cent say they are “quite concerned”, for a total of 71 per cent.
Launching our campaign to highlight the scale of hazardous waste and litter from single-use vapes last week, we revealed that 1.3million devices are chucked away weekly in the UK – a rate of two per second.
In the wake of our coverage, the Scottish Government launched a review into the disposable products.
Green MSP Gillian Mackay, who raised our campaign for a ban in Parliament last week, said: “This poll is a tribute to the fantastic campaigning work of the Daily Record and so many others.
“The overwhelming majority of people across Scotland have had enough of disposable vapes littering their high streets and polluting their communities. It is time for action. There is no way to justify their sale.
“We are living in a climate emergency and the waste they produce is ridiculous. They are incompatible with our drive to build a low-waste economy.”
Joseph Carter, head of Asthma and Lung UK Scotland, said: “We’d welcome a debate about this issue, especially as our own polling shows 71 per cent said they were concerned about the environmental waste from disposable vaping products.”
But he added: “We’re also mindful of the fact that e-cigarettes are a proven and effective quit tool for smokers.”
The poll was conducted between December 22 and January 3. Scots activist Laura Young – the “vape crusader” – welcomed the findings. She said: “This is a huge consensus that these items are extremely problematic to our environment.
“This will surely add momentum to the campaign to see the Scottish Government ban these devices.”
Barry Fisher, CEO of Keep Scotland Beautiful, said: “At a time when we are looking forward to the introduction of a deposit return system that should help address some litter types, we should not be introducing new types such as single use e-cigarettes and vapes.”
Catherine Gemmell, Scotland Conservation Officer at the Marine Conservation Society said: “These poll results reflect our own concerns of the impact disposable vapes are having on the marine environment.
Sheila Duffy, chief exec of anti-smoking charity ASH Scotland, added: “The escalation in disposable e-cigarettes discarded or ending up in landfill sites is clearly a major issue.”
The UK Vaping Industry Association is against a ban and wants “a recycling solution that is fit for purpose”.
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