Urgent action to ban single use vapes for under-18s across the country is being demanded by North Ayrshire Council.
The moves are being made on health grounds and for environmental reasons following a passionate debate on Wednesday.
Councillor Eleanor Collier, licensing board chair called on the Scottish and UK Governments to take bold steps.
She said: “Single use vapes and disposable vapes are being cynically marketed and sold to young people. Disposable vapes are available everywhere: supermarket pound stores, convenience stores, petrol stations and online retailers.
"You can even order your vape with your Friday night curry from Just Eat and Deliveroo. Brightly coloured vapes come in 600 flavours like watermelon bubblegum displayed behind till points in many shops.
“It’s hardly a surprise that there has been a huge increase in vaping by young people in the last five years.
"The proportion of 16-18 year olds [using vapes] doubled in the last 12 months. The World health Organisation say vapes must be regulated.
“They can cause cancer, lung disorders and heart disease. Behind delicious flavours is nicotine. People on vapes are three times more likely to smoke cigarettes than those who don’t vape.
“There are 1.3 million disposable vapes thrown away every week, two every second and less than a third are recycled.
“Some single use vapes contain as much nicotine as 40 cigarettes. They have plastic lithium batteries, which are fire and health risks and are banned in 30 countries.
"The Scottish Government are consulting on planning to build on existing regulation to restrict the marketing, promotion and sale of vaping products to under-18s. Westminster are looking at tough controls and tax vape sales. Children and young people are being mercilessly targeted by the industry.”
The motion read: "We instruct the council chief executive to write to the UK and Scottish Government in support of urgent and outright ban on disposable vapes and additional measures to prevent under-18s and the environment from further harm.”
Councillor Chloe Robertson added: “I log into social media accounts where young people cough up blood and are in hospital over the impact of smoking these easily available vapes.
"Companies are profiting from these horrible cases knowing full well they are happening.”
Supporting the motion, Labour councillor Donald Reid said: "I have seen a dramatic increase in disposbable vapes in our communities. Everyone sees them as a problem, including Keep Scotland Beautiful, that's why they are backing a campaign, along with ASH Scotland."
The Tories put forwarded an amendment which acknowledged concern about increasing use of vaping products and asked council officers to prepare a briefing on what powers the council had to control the sale of them to under-18s and write to both the Scottish and UK Governments to highlight the council’s concerns.
They also urged them to review legislation to ensure that there were effective means for enforcement officers to prevent the sale of vaping products to under-18s, control the sale of illegal nicotine vaping products within the UK and Scotland.
Also they wanted to reduce the attractiveness of nicotine vaping products (NVPS) as a lifestyle choice; ban the promotion of all NVPs to people under 18 and establish effective recycling programmes for single use vapes.
Tory councillor Timothy Billings said: “Since 2020 there has been a huge increase in the use of single use vaping products which are a big environmental waste issue. Figures from the campaigning group ASH last year say the use of these products has gone up very slightly by people under 18 in last five years.
“Banning these products is a rather simplistic approach to what is a complex issue. So banning legal products is not going to address the issue relating to illegal products.
“I accept that single use nicotine vape products created a huge issue around the environment.
“There is a marker from these products and it is supported by some senior medical bodies.
“Vaping has not been around as long as smoking but what is evident is that it is surely less harmful than smoking. Banning it now will not address health issues and the legal sale to children.”
The motion was passed by 18 votes to nine.
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