Essex has seen a staggering rise of over 14,000 per cent in illegal vape seizures in the past 12 months, a new report has revealed.
The shocking figures place the county just behind the London Borough of Hillingdon for total seizures - which leading industry expert, Ben Johnson, Founder of Riot Labs, attributes to its proximity to Heathrow airport.
The Illegal Vape report, released by vape retailer Vape Club following a Freedom of Information request, revealed the ten counties with the highest seizures in the past 12 months and the percentage change versus 2023.
Two illegal vapes were seized every minute in 2024, with almost £9 million worth of illegal products removed from UK streets. The number of illegal vapes seized year-on-year since 2020 saw a dramatic 100-fold increase.
Ben Johnson, whose company has launched Riot Activist to defend the vape sector and protect smokers trying to quit, claims the government have a golden opportunity to reduce illegal vapes through the introduction of a licensing scheme.
“The bottom line is, the illegal vape black market is booming due to a lack of enforcement and the government’s ongoing attempts to use prohibition, which is only fueling the problem. Prohibition does not work,” Johnson commented.
“A well-executed licensing scheme for vapes which would be self-funded, and therefore enforced, is the best option to crack down on illegal vapes and manage the youth vape problem. Vapes have a vital role to play in the government’s smoke free ambitions, helping millions of adult smokers quit. Their current approach is absolute self-sabotage, and as these staggering figures show - they urgently need to wake up.”
In England, London contributed to nearly half of all illegal vape seizures (47%), while Newport, in Wales, saw significant increases contributing to 70 per cent of Wales’ total seizures.
In Scotland, Renfrewshire Council - the home of Glasgow airport - reported the highest number of seizures (3,814).
Dan Marchant, chief executive of Vape Club, added: “Innocent Brits who are using vapes as a legitimate tool to quit are being exploited by the black market, and more has to be done to protect them. Dangerously high nicotine levels and contaminated products are reaching consumers due to this illicit activity, and the government must reconsider its current position - and properly study the proposed retail and distributor licensing framework which is the most effective approach to solving the youth vape problem, without impacting smokers who use vaping to quit smoking.”
How to tell if you have an illegal vape:
Illegal vapes are dangerous, unregulated devices with unknown ingredients or much higher nicotine levels which can pose serious risks to health. The telltale signs to look out for include:
- Vapes with a tank size larger than 2ml
- Vapes with a nicotine strength greater than 20mg/ml
- Vapes without the correct health or nicotine warnings
- Poor quality packaging with low-resolution photos or labels
- Vapes without a UK address or labelling in a foreign language
- Untested vapes that haven't been properly safety checked, including vapes without full ingredient list displayed on packaging
Panel discussion at the relaunch of the SAITG on 3 March 2025
