A BAN on single-use vapes in Scotland has been pushed back by two months to fall in line with a new ban for England.

The UK Government has announced a ban will come into force from June 1 next year.

The Scottish Parliament had previously passed a law to ban the sale and supply of single-use vapes and the Scottish Government intended it to be in place on April 1.

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But following the UK Government announcement it has been decided to delay the enforcement of the legislation until the ban is in force south of the border.

Neil Gray, Health Secretary, said: “The Scottish Government was the first in the UK to commit to taking action on single-use vapes.

“We have worked closely across the four nations to ensure a consistent approach to a ban on the sale and supply of single-use vapes so we can provide certainty to businesses and consumers.

“We will lay regulations to amend the current coming into force date from 1 April 2025 to 1 June 2025 to ensure a common date across the four nations.”

The Welsh Government is also bringing in the ban on June 1.

The UK Government said it was bringing in the ban for health and environmental reasons.

Andrew Gwynne, UK health minister, said: "It's deeply worrying that a quarter of 11 to 15-year-olds used a vape last year and we know disposables are the product of choice for the majority of kids vaping today.

"Banning disposable vapes will not only protect the environment, but importantly reduce the appeal of vapes to children and keep them out of the hands of vulnerable young people.

"The Government will also introduce the Tobacco and Vapes Bill - the biggest public health intervention in a generation - which will protect young people from becoming hooked on nicotine and pave the way for a smoke-free UK."

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Mary Creagh, UK circular economy minister, said single-use vapes are "extremely wasteful and blight our towns and cities".

Ms Creagh added: "That is why we are banning single-use vapes as we end this nation's throwaway culture.

"This is the first step on the road to a circular economy, where we use resources for longer, reduce waste, accelerate the path to net-zero and create thousands of jobs across the country."