A Blackburn-based e-cigarette firm has spoken out after reports the government is set to ban disposable vapes.

Totally Wicked said it will still “continue to develop products”, as ministers are said to be drawing up plans to ban disposable vapes, which are claimed to be targeted at those under 18.

Critics claim brightly coloured products and fruity flavours are targeted at young people, while many disposable products contain rechargeable lithium batteries that go to landfill, wasting rescources.

There have also been concerns raised around bin lorry fires which have been blamed on the products exploding.

Totally Wicked, which also sponsors Blackburn Rovers Football Club, appeared in parliament earlier this year to be questioned about the rise in youth vaping and who is responsible for it.

Totally Wicked chief executive, and chair of the IBVTA (Independent British Vape Trade), Marcus Saxton defended the use of disposable vapes.

He said a ban might create a ‘black market’ which could cause potentially harmful products to infiltrate the market.

He also highlighted the benefits of vapes for people who want to stop smoking; with vaping being a less harmful habit to help wean smokers off cigarettes.

Despite the meeting, a national newspaper reported the decision to ban disposable vapes, but not reusable devices, will be revealed in a consultation by the Department of Health and Social Care.

A spokesperson for Totally Wicked said the proposed ban could have an negative impact on smokers who are trying to quit.

A spokesperson for Totally Wicked said: "Single use vapes have provided many adult smokers the opportunity to access a substantially reduced risk product, and are preferred by many due to their relative simplicity, and ease of use.  

“While single use products do have their downsides, specifically around their environmental impact, if not responsibly recycled, there is growing evidence that they provide a positive gateway for adult smokers to access vaping, whom subsequently transition to a more environmentally sustainable, rechargeable product.  

“As a result, any proposals to ban single use products will undoubtedly risk many smokers choosing not to access these materially reduced risk products, and/or has the potential to fuel the black market, which will have adverse effects for consumer safety and youth access.

"Totally Wicked has been empowering smokers to transform their lives since 2008.  The regulatory landscape has evolved over many years, supported by the positive role that the UK government sees vaping can play in its tobacco control policy.  

“We have a broad product portfolio, and we will continue to develop products, within the UK regulatory framework for both our current and future customers alike.”

The proposed ban comes after a number of leading doctors have called for action to protect the health of children.

Science and technology secretary Michelle Donelan did not deny the reports.

She said: “We have been looking into this and have been doing a review because this is a very worrying trend that we’re seeing of young children taking up vaping that had never smoked before, and it is extremely dangerous to their health and their wellbeing.

“It’s something that we do need to act on and, as a Government, what we’re trying to do is recognise what are the key challenges and grip them.”

Asked whether the Government will be banning single-use vapes next week, she said: “We’ll be making further announcements on that.”

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health has previously called for a ban on disposable vapes as it warned that “youth vaping is fast becoming an epidemic among children”.

The College warned that e-cigarettes “are not a risk-free product and can be just as addictive, if not more so than traditional cigarettes”.

It called for urgent action to protect youngsters, saying experts agree that longer-term data is needed on the effects of vaping.

Earlier this month figures from the Office for National Statistics showed a large increase in vaping among teenagers and young adults in Britain.

In 2022 some 15.5 per cent of 16 to 24-year-olds vaped daily or occasionally, up from 11.1 per cent in 2021.

NHS figures also show a rise in the number of children admitted to hospital due to vaping.

40 children and young people were admitted to hospital in England last year due to “vaping-related disorders”, which could include lung damage or worsening asthma symptoms, up from 11 two years earlier, the NHS said.

Officials working on the proposals will also be considering the impact it could have on smokers trying to quit.

New research found that vapes are the best way to kick the habit and those who use them are more than twice as likely to stop smoking compared with those who go cold turkey.

The Cochrane Review found that only six out of every 100 people who try to give up smoking without any quit aids are successful at kicking the habit, but 14 out of 100 are successful when they use vapes.

One in eight quit attempts were successful when people used dual nicotine replacement therapy, such as combining a patch with gum.

Simon Clark, from the smokers’ lobbying group Forest, said: “If the Government’s aim is to reduce smoking rates, banning disposable vapes would be a significant own goal.

“Vaping has been a huge success story, with millions of smokers choosing to switch to a product that is far less risky to their health.”