CLIMATE and health campaigners have welcomed today’s announcement of a nationwide ban on disposable vapes.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has bowed to pressure to act on concerns over the environmental impact of cartridges containing lithium ion batteries strewn on the streets and the growing numbers of youngsters taking up vaping — 69 per cent of whom use disposables — when the long-term effects remain unknown.

Claire Shrewsbury of climate action group Wrap said: “They present a fire hazard at waste facilities and use an estimated 5,000 electric vehicle batteries-worth of lithium per year.

“An estimated five million disposable vapes are discarded each week, equivalent to eight every second.”

Teaching union NASUWT general secretary Dr Patrick Roach called the announcement a “step in the right direction.”

But he added: “The government must also now act to invest in improved public health information and better support for children and young people addicted to vaping products.”

The ban has received backing from devolved administrations and local government, but Mr Sunak set himself on collision course with the Tory hard right, centred on his predecessor Liz Truss, who is heading a rebellion over mooted restrictions of tobacco sales, which she branded “profoundly unconservative.”

Responding, Mr Sunak told broadcasters: “I don’t think there’s anything unconservative about caring about our children’s health.”

Labour health spokesman Wes Streeting said: “What has taken the government so long? Labour put forward measures to tackle vapes being aimed at children more than two years ago but these were blocked by the Conservatives.

“In the meantime, the numbers of young people vaping have soared.

 “We've seen before that sensible measures are met with resistance from Conservative backbenchers, but Labour will ensure these important measures to protect children's health are brought in, even when Rishi Sunak is weak.”