Lincolnshire Trading Standards removes over 5,000 vapes from shops across county

More than 5,000 vapes have been removed from shops across the county.

Using intelligence gathered from officers, partner organisations and members of the public, Lincolnshire Trading Standards inspects premises thought to be selling illegal vapes and seizes them, pending investigation.

Between April and December 2022, it revealed that of the 5,417 it removed from the market, 5,062 of these were non-compliant vapes, meaning they exceeded the legal nicotine content and the delivered dose, also known as a puff.

Disposable vapes should have around 600 puffs in them so they comply with legal limits. Among those seized by Trading Standards were vapes advertised as containing up to 10,000 puffs - more than 16 times the limit.

Mark Keal, head of Lincolnshire Trading Standards, said: "The popularity of disposable vapes has exploded over the last 18 months, and we have seen a lot of shops cashing in on the new craze.

“Many of the businesses now selling vapes haven’t sold nicotine products before, and we’ve gone to great lengths to advise businesses on the regulations around them, to help them comply with the law.

"What we’re seeing now is more unscrupulous businesses knowingly selling oversized, non-compliant vapes.

“Many of the shops where we find illegal cigarettes, we’re now also finding illegal vapes. However, whereas the dodgy cigarettes are hidden away behind the counter, in a back room, or in some elaborate hide, illegal vapes are often brazenly displayed at the counter, making them seem legitimate to the average customer.

“The growing trend of young people vaping for the first time is also concerning. Whilst shops are clearly consistent in asking for ID when selling cigarettes and alcohol, there seems to be a more slack attitude when it comes to vapes and that’s something we’re working hard to address through education and enforcement.

“Research may show that vaping is much less harmful than smoking cigarettes, but the health message remains that if you have never smoked, you should not take up vaping.”

Trading Standards has sent letters to over 100 premises across the county, providing guidance on how to check products comply in terms of:

• Nicotine capacity
• Tank size
• Number of puffs

Vapes being sold to underage children is also a growing concern as intelligence Trading Standards received revealed that 35 per cent of underage sales is from vapes.

Lincolnshire County Council has a dedicated officer who delivers workshops to schools about cigarettes and alcohol.

A new workshop has been developed around vapes specifically and this has so far been delivered to over 4,000 pupils.

If you have any information about the sale of illegal vapes, or of businesses selling them to children, you can report this to Trading Standards through the Citizens Advice consumer service by visiting www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer.

They can also be contacted by phone on 0808 223 1133.