Illegal vapes worth £9,000 seized in Gloucester

Officers carried out the seizure, worth an estimated £9,000 to the shop owner, at premises in Southgate Street on 8 August 2023 following a complaint by a member of the public.

As it was the first time a seizure had been made from this shop, the owner received a warning and advice on how to avoid buying illegal vapes again.

All the seized items held considerably more than the 2ml of vape liquid permitted and some also had incorrect labelling, meaning they had not passed the correct approval process.

A second seizure of 160 vapes, worth around £1,200, was carried out at a Cheltenham shop on 9 August after trading standards officers were called out to a discovery made by Gloucestershire Constabulary who were on the premises for unrelated reasons.

It brings the total number of illegal vapes seized already this year by trading standards to 3,700 - worth an estimated £19,500.

In general any vape described as providing more than 600 puffs will contain more than the 2ml of vape liquid permitted. Shop owners are advised to protect themselves by buying their vapes from reputable wholesalers, to ensure they are likely to be buying legal vapes and also have a route to complain if they are supplied with illegal ones.

Cllr Dave Norman, cabinet member for trading standards, said: “These seizures cause considerable disruption to shop owners with the loss of thousands of pounds of stock which could easily be avoided if they used reputable suppliers and wholesalers.

“While vapes may be a useful aid to help smokers quit, they must still comply with the law. This seizure also helps protect law-abiding traders from unfair competition from the sale of illegal products. I would like to thank the member of the public for bringing it to our attention – we will continue to act on information we receive from the public.”

Anyone with information about the sale of illegal, disposable e-cigarettes or anyone looking for advice for their business can contact trading standards via the Citizens Advice consumer service, by calling 0808 223 1133 or emailing tradingstandards@gloucestershire.gov.uk.