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The government's bid to introduce a ban on young people smoking and a new tax on vaping products failed to make it through Parliament before it was dissolved for the general election.
Ministers had already announced plans for a ban on disposable vapes, to help cut the number of children vaping.
Rishi Sunak said he remained "very committed" to the anti-smoking and vaping policy. Labour has also said it supports the proposals.
Is vaping dangerous?
Vaping is nowhere near as harmful as smoking cigarettes.
But health experts agree that anyone who does not smoke should not start vaping.
Children's doctors say vaping may cause long-term damage to young people's lungs, hearts and brains.
The vapour inhaled contains a small amount of chemicals, including the addictive substance nicotine.
More research is needed to fully understand the health effects.
Another issue is that illegal vapes are widely available and are much more likely to contain harmful chemicals or drugs, such as cannabis.
What is the new tax on vaping products?
In the March 2024 budget, the government said it would introduce a new tax on vaping products in October 2026.
It launched a consultation about how the tax would work, which closed at the end of May.
However, it is not clear whether the tax will take effect as planned.
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill was not passed before Parliament was dissolved ahead of the general election on 4 July.
Labour - which backs the proposals - could reintroduce the bill if it wins the election.
At the moment, vaping products are subject to value added tax (VAT) - but unlike tobacco, do not also attract a separate levy.
According to the proposals, the amount of duty would depend on how much nicotine is in the vaping liquid:
- £1 per 10ml for nicotine-free liquids
- £2 per 10ml for liquids that contain 0.1-10.9mg
- £3 per 10ml for liquids that contain 11mg or more (roughly more per ml than a cigarette)
Duty on tobacco would have gone up by £2 per 100 cigarettes at the the same time to ensure that vaping remains cheaper.
When will disposable vapes be banned?
It is also not clear whether or when the ban on disposable vapes will take effect.
The government had said the ban would come into force on 1 April, 2025. Retailers would have had six months to make the changes.
Vapes were also due to be made less attractive to young people by:
- reducing the use of flavours designed to appeal to children
- introducing plain packaging
- changing the way vapes are displayed in shops - moving them behind the counter
It is already illegal to sell vapes to under-18s, but the government wanted to increase fines for retailers which do so.
How many children vape?
Nearly 8% of 11-17 year olds vape, according to figures from an online survey of 2,000 children by health charity ASH (Action on Smoking and Health). That is up from 4% in 2020.
It said 20% have tried vaping, with cheap, brightly coloured disposable vapes driving up the increase from 14% three years ago.
Older teenagers are more likely to have tried vaping or be current vapers.
Vaping is now twice as common as smoking among children.
What are the vaping rules in other countries?
Many countries have seen a rise in vaping among children and young people.
In response, the US has banned some vape flavours like mint and fruit in particular e-cigarettes.
It also said it would ban products from Juul, one of the country's most popular vaping companies.
Australia has announced e-cigarettes will only be available on prescription, for smokers who want to give up tobacco.
New Zealand brought in new rules in 2023, banning most disposable vapes and targeted flavours which appeal to children.
Countries including South Korea, India and Brazil have brought in very strict vape rules, while China has announced restrictions.
However, 88 countries have no minimum age for buying vapes, and 74 have no laws in place for e-cigarettes, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Is vaping better than smoking?
Cigarettes contain tobacco, tar and a host of cancer-causing toxic chemicals and are the largest preventable cause of illness and death in the UK.
About half of all lifelong smokers will die early, losing on average about 10 years of life.
That is why people who smoke are urged to stop, with nicotine vapes the most effective quit tool - better than nicotine patches or gum.
Recent research also suggests people having face-to-face support while using vapes can be up to twice as likely to stop smoking than those using other methods.
But vaping is not harmless, so it is only recommended for adult smokers.
They are offered free vape kits on the NHS to help them quit as part of its "swap to stop" programme.
More than two million smokers and ex-smokers who use disposable vapes would be affected by a ban, according to research by UCL.
Thousands of people have given up smoking using vaping as an alternative. Fewer people in the UK are smoking than ever before - about 13%.
Why are disposable vapes bad for the environment?
Campaigners say the materials and chemicals used to make vapes - including their lithium batteries - make them difficult to dispose of safely.
They can be recycled, but only 17% of vapers do so.
An estimated five million disposable vapes are thrown away each week in the UK.
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