THE NUMBER of illegal vapes seized in Flintshire increased dramatically this year.
The number seized by Flintshire County Council saw an increase of 170 per cent, with 4,545 illegal vapes seized in 2024, up from 1,684 in 2023.
The Totally Wicked vaping company said illegal products pose a "serious risk" to consumers due to products potentially exceeding the legal amount of nicotine content or containing harmful chemicals not found in approved vapes. These products are often the same retailers who fail to follow strict age verification protocols, meaning they are more likely to sell these products to underage youths.
In the last month the Government announced plans for banning disposable vaping products set to come into effect of June 2025.
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Flintshire Council's chief officer, planning, environment and economy, Andrew Farrow said: “Our Trading Standards Service has received and acted upon an increased amount of intelligence about the supply of illegal vapes this year.
"The service is also seizing large amounts of illegal vapes as part of Operation Cece, a national campaign funded by HMRC to deal with the supply of illicit tobacco, the shops that sell illicit tobacco are now also selling illegal vapes.
"The success of our team can clearly be seen in the increased number of seizures made. We would encourage people to come forward with any information they may have about the sale of illegal vapes either by phone on 01352 703181 or email at trading.standards@flintshire.gov.uk. Alternatively anonymous reports can be made to Crimestoppers at www.crimestopper-uk.org. ”
Totally Wicked’s CEO and chairman of the Independent British Vape Trade Association (IBVTA), said: "Some distributors and retailers are either unaware or choose not to follow the rules. We welcome any crackdown on illegal and unsafe vaping products, as it helps protect consumers and ensures that only compliant products are available on the market.
"Retailers must source vapes from trusted, regulated distributors to guarantee they are selling safe products."
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