LONDON (AP) — A ban on disposable vapes came into force across the U.K. on Sunday as the British government aims to stem their use by children, reduce litter and prevent the leaking of harmful chemicals into the environment.
The ban makes it illegal for any retailer — online or in-store — to sell vapes, whether they contain nicotine or not. They will still be able to sell reusable vapes.
The crackdown follows the soaring use of disposable vapes in schools and a rising tide of trash as users dispose of the vapes. It is estimated that as many as 5 million disposable vapes are thrown in bins or littered every week across the U.K., rather than being recycled.
A number of countries are seeking to regulate the vape market, which has grown exponentially over the past decade or so. Australia outlawed the sale of vapes outside pharmacies last year in some of the world’s toughest restrictions on electronic cigarettes, while Belgium became the first European Country to ban the use of disposable vapes at the start of this year. California has been at the forefront of bringing in new regulations in the U.S.
The U.K.'s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said usage among young people remained too high, and the ban would “put an end to their alarming rise in school playgrounds and the avalanche of rubbish flooding the nation’s streets.”
Also known as single-use vapes, disposable vapes are non-refillable and unable to be recharged, and are typically thrown away with general waste or just thrown on the street. Even when they are recycled, they need to be taken apart by hand, while their batteries are a fire risk to recycling facilities and can leak harmful chemicals into the environment and potentially harming wildlife.
Businesses were given six months to prepare for the change by selling any existing stock. Rogue traders who continue to sell them risk a fine of 200 ($260) in the first instance, followed by an unlimited fine or jail time for repeat offending.
The U.K. Vaping Industry Association said its members had moved quickly to comply with the June 1 deadline, but warned of “serious unintended consequences” emanating from too much regulation.
“We are concerned that this ban will encourage former smokers who have already transitioned from cigarettes, which kill 220 people every day in the U.K, to return to combustible tobacco or opt for unregulated vapes," said its director general, John Dunne.
Separately, the British government is legislating to potentially restrict the packaging, marketing and flavors of e-cigarettes.
FILE - Pedestrians pass a vape shop in London, Monday, Jan. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)
LAS VEGAS (AP) — The New York Knicks might get a trophy. Tyler Kolek's dad might get a car.
The NBA Cup final will have San Antonio against the Knicks on Tuesday night in Las Vegas. The game won't count in the standings, and the stats won't be added to any official totals. But there is a trophy, bragging rights and money at stake.
By making it to the final, the Knicks and Spurs already have secured $212,373 per player from the NBA Cup prize money pool. The losing team on Tuesday gets nothing extra. Players on the winning team get an additional $308,560 — pushing their Cup winnings to $530,933 each. Two-way players get half of what players on standard contracts get.
“It means a lot to some," Kolek said. “Maybe not as much to others, obviously.”
He's in the “some” group.
Kolek, a backup guard for the Knicks, is making $2.2 million this season. In the real world, that's a lot of money. In the NBA world, not so much. Take a look at some other Knicks players' salaries: Karl-Anthony Towns is making $53.1 million this season, OG Anunoby is making $39.6 million, Jalen Brunson is making $34.9 million, Mikal Bridges is making just under $25 million and Josh Hart around $19.5 million.
Those guys — and plenty of the Spurs players, too — are used to seeing checks exceeding $500,000. Kolek surely isn't. But he's earned his shot to win big in Vegas, by being a big reason why the Knicks got to the final.
New York outscored Orlando by 18 points in Kolek's 16 minutes in Saturday's semifinals. When Kolek wasn't on the floor, the Magic outscored the Knicks by six. He finished with four points and four assists; the stats might not seem impressive, but his energy was a huge plus for New York.
“Tyler did a fantastic job today, our young fella, of impacting winning,” Towns said after the game. “And he did that on a big stage. ... One of his finest games as an NBA player was tonight, and it may not show up on the stats sheet, but everybody in our locker room knows how important he was to us.”
Kolek took his NBA Cup quarterfinal bonus from last season, a little over $50,000, and bought his mother a car. This year, he has said it could be his father's turn for a new vehicle. The question is, will the bigger bonus this year lead to a better car for his dad.
Knicks coach Mike Brown — who raves about Kolek's competitive juices and has rewarded him with a bigger role in recent weeks — can't wait to find out.
“I just want to know if his dad’s going to get a better car than his mom or vice versa, because we’ll find out soon which parent he likes more,” Brown said, laughing. “Better be his mom. ... Hey, I’m not causing trouble. I've just got two eyes open. Wait to see what he’s going to do. Just take care of your mom. Just remember that. Take care of your mom.”
It's a nice problem to have, for sure.
“That's a big amount of money for a guy like myself," Kolek said. “It’s not only about the money. We want to win this to hold up the trophy and for the fans.”
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA
Orlando Magic guard Desmond Bane (3) passes the ball between New York Knicks' Tyler Kolek (13) and Og Anunoby (8) in the second half of an NBA Cup semifinals basketball game, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ronda Churchill)
New York Knicks guard Tyler Kolek (13) dribbles the ball during the first half of an NBA Cup semifinals basketball game against the Orlando Magic, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ronda Churchill)
