‘Seized illegal vapes in first four months of 2023 are seven times of what seized in 2021’

Number of illegal vapes seized in the first four months this year were seven times higher than whole of 2021, stated a recent report citing replies of freedom of information requests sent to 167 local authorities by VapeClub, raising concerns about a booming black market selling products.

According to the analysis by VapeClub, the UK has been flooded with two million illicit e-cigarettes since the beginning of last year. London, the South East and North West were the top three regions for counterfeit vape seizures, according to the analysis, Mirror reported.

Local leaders have called for a stronger crackdown on counterfeit vapes, citing that usage is surging among children and adults.

Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting, “It is seriously concerning that illegal vapes are flooding into the country and being sold on the black market, with children targeted in particular.

“We cannot sit back and allow a new generation of kids to get hooked on nicotine. The health impacts and the difficulties it is causing in schools is seriously worrying. Labour will come down like a ton of bricks on underage vaping and ban the marketing of vapes to children, to give every child a healthy start to life.”

Luton Council leader Hazel Simmons said: ‘’The sale of illicit tobacco, vape pens and shisha is often linked to wider organised criminal activity, so we have good reason to be vigilant. The sale of illicit vape pens and tobacco evades tax and is unfair to honest traders.

“They also put people’s health at risk, which is particularly concerning when the traders sell to children. It is important that parents and carers engage with their children to ensure that they are not being sold nicotine-containing vape pens when under 18 years of age.”

Dan Marchant, director of vaping and e-liquids retailer Vape Club, said: “Illicit vaping products have the potential to be dangerous to the user’s health. What’s needed is a licensing scheme so proper age verification tests can be applied to every retailer.

“There must also be higher fines applied to every breach for the rogue sellers. The UK Vaping Industry Association is calling for the fines to be raised to at least £10,000, which would be a real deterrent.”

The revelation follows shocking claims made by Kent Trading Standard officers that “children as young as 10” are reportedly being sold vapes.

“Some of the reports we’ve received talk about children as young as 10 [buying vapes], but we’ve also had reports of parents buying vaping products for children even younger than that,” the report quoted Kent County Council trading standards officer Oliver Jewell as saying.

UK law limits the amount of liquid nicotine in a vape to 2ml, which the industry markets as “600 puffs”. The report stated that some illegal products can offer up to “10,000 puffs”, with 10 times the legal limit of liquid.

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