Thousands of illegal vapes seized

An authority has seized £17,900 of illegal vapes, tobacco, and cigarettes as part of a crackdown.

Hampshire County Council's Trading Standards Service said they were discovered during recent operations in Andover, Totton, Aldershot and Farnborough, supported by Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary.

In October 2024 the government announced that it would start banning single-use vapes in England from 1 June.

The rule aims to stop the rise of young people vaping and to prevent littering, since they cannot be recycled due to their lithium batteries, which in some cases have started fires and explosions at bin lorries.

Ahead of the ban, researchers from the University College London said that the popularity of disposable e-cigarettes or vapes had fallen.

According to the research, the percentage of people aged 16 to 24 who mainly used disposable vapes dropped by nearly half in the last year, from 63% to 35%.

In November 2023, the county council revealed that more than 10,500 illicit vapes with excessive liquid content were seized, with a value of £153,674.

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