Research by the BBC has found that Trading Standards teams across England have seized more than six million non-compliant and illicit vaping products over the past three years.
Freedom of Information requests were sent to 136 local authority Trading Standards services in England, with 133 responding. Figures show that between 2022 and 2024, at least 6,169,822 illicit or non-compliant vaping products were seized from shops and at ports.
During the same period, there were 3,766 incidents of vapes being sold to underage volunteers during Trading Standards test purchases, and 7,594 incidents of illicit or non-compliant vapes being sold during test purchases.
Illegal vape sales were a factor in at least 316 shop closure orders, and at least 67 shops were closed for selling vapes to minors.
Trading Standards services with ports and borders under their jurisdiction seized the most illicit and non-compliant vapes during the period, with Hillingdon Trading Standards – which covers Heathrow Airport – seizing 2,099,248 vapes and Kent County Council Trading Standards – which covers ports including Dover and Folkestone – seizing 896,271.
Salford City Council Trading Standards seized 424,472 vapes, West Northamptonshire Trading Standards seized 298,029 and Manchester City Trading Standards seized 208,132.
Illicit vape and tobacco sales have long been a priority area for Trading Standards services, with the government recently announcing an additional £10m of dedicated funding for enforcement. That will pay for 80 new apprentice Trading Standards Officers and comes on top of HMRC and Border Force’s £100m Illicit Tobacco Strategy.
Initiatives such as Operation Joseph and Operation CeCe, which were set up to tackle illicit vape and tobacco sales respectively, have led to widespread seizures of illicit products across the UK with backing from the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC), HMRC and National Trading Standards (NTS).
The new vaping duty, which comes into force in 2026, will introduce new civil and criminal powers for Trading Standards, giving enforcers the ability to seize products and recruit more compliance staff. And a national ban on single-use vapes will come into force on 1 June, ahead of the introduction of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill later this year.
Welcoming the announcement of new funding for vape enforcement, CTSI Chief Executive, John Herriman, said: “This much-needed investment will strengthen our ability to support businesses in complying with current and future tobacco and vaping regulations and will also ensure we are well placed to support the protection of public health.
“It also reinforces our commitment to taking firm action against anyone who seeks to harm their local communities by choosing to operate outside the law. With these additional resources, we can make a real difference in both keeping consumers safe, and ensuring a fair and responsible marketplace.”
NTS Chair, Lord Michael Bichard, commented: “Illicit tobacco and vape products are prevalent in our communities, trapping people – including children and young people – in a dangerous cycle of addiction that could endure for another generation.
“The scourge of illicit nicotine products are largely powered by organised crime, and the products represent an important money-spinner that help fund organised crime groups’ other illegal schemes, such as human trafficking and modern slavery.”
