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The newspaper reports that the announcement is due to be made next Monday (29 January).
As well as banning single-use devices, the government is expected to introduce restrictions on flavours and marketing, as well as slapping higher taxes on vape products.
But a recent study from University College London funder by Cancer Research UK, found that a ban on disposable vapes could discourage the use of e-cigarettes among people who are trying to quit smoking.
Convenience retailers are likely to be hit hard by the proposals, as the vape category has provided a welcome source of sales and profits for shops affected by falling sales of tobacco and hit hard by rising wage and energy costs.
The Department of Health and Social Care said: “We have consulted on measures to reduce the appeal and availability of vapes to children. We will set out further details in due course.”
News of the likely ban was welcomed by stand-alone vape retailer VPZ, which has more than 160 stores throughout the UK.
VPZ director Doug Mutter said he supported a ban on disposables but warned that the UK government needs to learn lessons from a similar approach in Australia which led to the growth of an illicit black market.
He said: “For the past two years we have called on the UK government to introduce licencing and controls for selling vaping products.
“We believe this would provide a strong and robust solution to tackling access and the impact of disposables on youth uptake and the environment.
“From this perspective, we welcome and fully support news that the UK government plans to introduce a ban on disposable vaping products.
“However it’s hugely important that it operates alongside a licencing scheme where there are proper punishments and policing in place to enforce the ban, tackle the existing black market and ensure it doesn’t continue to grow.
“We would also highlight that evidence shows flavours are a key aspect of helping people quit smoking and we recommend following best practices from countries like New Zealand, where flavoured products can only be sold from specialist licensed vaping stores, rather than restricting flavours.
“Health policy-makers have a huge opportunity to get this right, and it’s important that they take on board advice and guidance to regain much-needed momentum and help the country meet its 2030 smoke-free ambitions.”
