A resident of a small, rural village in England took to Reddit to voice their frustration with a problem that even the countryside isn't immune to: disposable vapes.
Specifically, they said the issue is the "mountains of dead disposable vapes everywhere."
They explained, "Everywhere I walk, even in this little village, I see at least 10 disposable vapes. … They are just everywhere."
Commenters felt similarly about their frustration — for several reasons.
"Everything about them is bad," one person said definitively. "They are hopelessly addictive and more pervasive than cigarettes as they can be inhaled anywhere."
It's true – vapes have both increased in potency and in popularity. According to anti-vape advocacy group Truth Initiative, these disposable vapes have "nearly tripled" in nicotine strength while sales have increased by more than 46% in just two years.
And as they become more addictive and more popular, their waste is adding up fast. "I live in a rural area, on a road that leads [to] a tourist beach," one commenter shared. "The amount of dead vapes we get that had been thrown out of a car window is a disgrace. … The sooner they get banned the better."
Not only are littered vapes unsightly, but they pose physical hazards, too. They're surprisingly strong, and they are able to puncture car tires if run over at the right angle. Many people have also voiced growing concerns about their children or pets chewing on them. They have also come into contact with wildlife, and animals could suffer injury or death after accidentally ingesting the brightly colored objects.
And if that wasn't enough, discarded vapes can also spark fires. One commenter called them a "horrendous risk" when it comes to their flammability. "Lithium ion fires are intense!"
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Even beyond any threats to the communities where they're discarded, disposable vapes generate massive amounts of global pollution, both from their materials — derived from dirty fuels — and the energy spent manufacturing them.
"Anything using rechargeable batteries in a single use device should be banned," one person argued. "Massive waste of natural resources."
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