Tougher action needed on illegal vape trade despite thousands of seizures, officials say

New data given to ITV News reveals worrying problems in the battle to stop illegal vapes, as ITV News' Consumer Editor Chris Choi reports

I went shopping for vapes - more precisely, illegal vapes - and it took just minutes on a busy high street to find examples of e-cigarettes that should not be on sale. Experts described our findings as worrying.

As a guideline, Trading Standards regard any disposable vape offering more than 600 puffs as suspect. I found devices boasting of up to 9,000.

Experts say that's a good indication that the tank containing nicotine e-liquid is far bigger than the 2ml allowed under legislation.

I also found vapes with incorrect health warnings and some that are only licensed for sale in the US, where the rules are different.

My purchases coincide with new data given to ITV News, revealing worrying problems in the battle to stop illegal vapes.

Freedom of Information (FOI) disclosures show hundreds of thousands of illicit devices have been seized, but senior figures in the industry say more must be done.

The new FOI data from 17 of the largest councils was compiled by the UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA).

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Among its key findings were:

  • Around 387,000 illegal vapes were seized since 2022;

  • But under £11,000 (£10,730) was taken in fines for selling them;

  • And the councils visited just over 1,800 (1,867) shops suspected of selling illegal vapes, which campaigners say is not enough

Official figures show 12% of UK adults vape. Councils told ITV News they are seeking more money for enforcement activities from the forthcoming budget.

As the government considers new regulation of vapes, our findings have shown problems with enforcing rules already in place.

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