Vapes, or electronic cigarettes that produce vapor, face intensifying global regulations in 2025-2026, including bans on disposables and crackdowns on illicit products, while public perceptions increasingly view them as equally or more harmful than traditional cigarettes despite evidence of lower harm. Harm perceptions among UK smokers declined from January 2022 to June 2025, with only 18.7% believing e-cigarettes less harmful, 31.3% more harmful, 37.5% equally harmful, and 12.5% unsure by June 2025; the rate slowed after the UK's January 2024 disposable ban announcement, implemented June 2025, but misperceptions persist. Latest News and Developments - In 2025, UK single-use vape battery sales fell 70% due to regulatory changes, marking an environmental win. - US FDA and agencies seized 4.7 million unauthorized e-cigarette units worth $86.5 million in September 2025 across multiple states, the largest such action. - November 2025: US Senate passed the Ensuring the Necessary Destruction (END) of Illicit Chinese Tobacco Act as part of fiscal 2026 appropriations, targeting illegal imports. - UK implemented disposable vape ban in June 2025; future research monitors its impact on perceptions. - Ongoing FDA authorizations: 39 e-cigarette products approved for legal US marketing as of late 2025. - Industry trends include smart vapes with Bluetooth, GPS, and puff tracking, plus diversification into CBD, Delta 8, Kava, and Kratom. - February 20, 2026: Experts note anti-vaping messaging fails to inform smokers that vaping is less harmful.