Manchester Vapeman boss Zeb has given his verdict on the government’s disposable vape ban
A vape shop owner has shared his thoughts on how he plans to handle the big disposable vape ban coming up.
Starting from June 1, 2025, the government will stop the sale and supply of single-use vapes in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
This ban on disposable vapes is meant to tackle environmental waste issues and to prevent young people from vaping.
Zeb has been operating his Manchester Vapeman shop for eight years, and his ‘honest’ take on the ban is surprising.
Zeb mentioned that he supports the ban, even though he believes his business will probably lose money at first.
He also explained how much he thinks he will lose, what his customers think about the ban, and how the alternatives will work.
Manchester Vapeman boss Zeb has given his verdict on the government’s disposable vape ban (Supplied)
“There’s a lot of batteries being wasted and tossed around, which is why I personally support the ban,” he explained. “I really hope that getting kids away from it will be a part of the solution.
“Honestly, the ban is mainly to limit kids, but for customers, there are many alternatives available now.”
Customers ‘aren’t worried’
Zeb believes that his customers have been informed about the ban and have been getting ready for it for months.
“No, our customers aren’t [worried]. We always talk to our customers. Many vape shops just sell whatever to people,” he said.
“If you spend a day here, you’ll notice that most of our customers know us personally. We communicate with them, letting them know what’s going on, what’s coming up, and what the changes will be.”
Zeb said he told his costumers of the various vape alternatives months ago (Supplied)
The disposable vape alternatives
The vapeman mentions that his top two choices for disposable vape alternatives are the Vaporesso and OXVA models.
These include a quick-charging e-cigarette and come with refillable pods or tanks.
“So, disposables are the kind you use just once; you can’t recharge them or swap out a pod,” Zeb explained.
“You simply toss it away. But now, there are new ones where you can refill them. You keep the device, so you don’t have to throw everything out.
“Because that’s another issue, right? There’s a lot of waste on the ground.”
He went on: “So, with Vaporesso, it’s a real device pod system where you fill it with your own liquid.
“I’d say that’s the main one, either Vaporesso or OXVA.
“They start at £15 and can go up to about £25 or £30.
How much an average vaper will save per month
Zeb mentioned that the vapes he has sold have really helped his customers quit smoking, and eventually stop vaping for good.
Zeb believes that the average person who vapes can save ‘around £20 to £30 each month’ after they stop using disposable vapes.
“They’ll save money because of the pods,” he explained. “Pre-filled pods are much cheaper than having to buy the whole kits every time.
“With the disposables, a new one costs £5.99, but then you can get a pack of two pods for the same price, £5.99, so that one pack should last them twice as long.”
How much will Zeb’s vape shop will lose per month following the ban?
Zeb has been running his vape shop for eight years
Since the Manchester Vapeman agrees with the disposable vape ban, he knows he will lose a lot of customers.
He thinks his Northern Quarter store will see a loss of ’20 to 25 percent’ each month, at the minimum.
“We just have to wait and see what happens after the first box,” Zeb mentioned. “You have to prepare for the worst case scenario.”
Vaping ‘helps people’ get off cigarettes
“You see, it really does assist people,” Zeb argues. “It helps them stop smoking.”
“I don’t think it will go away or anything, because we’ve supported hundreds of people at our shop in quitting cigarettes, and eventually, they stop vaping too.
“So they have completely stopped smoking, and they come to our shop where we help them with that. Without vaping, they might still be smoking and continuing to smoke.”