Trading Standards Officers Seize over 170 Illegal Vapes from shops in Newbury & Hungerford
Following complaints received from members of the public, trading standards officers have undertaken visits this month to 2 local shops in order to check compliance with the legislation. This resulted in a seizure of 171 illegal vapes from a local shop in Newbury and in Hungerford.
Disposable vaping products have seen a surge in popularity coinciding with a ban on certain products in America by the FDA resulting in products originally destined for other markets hitting the UK. Such products may have been compliant for other markets, but do not meet the requirements of the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016.
Disposable vapes are a cheap and simple way to try vaping for the first time. Incredibly popular with new vapers, these inhale activated vapes require zero experience to use and don't need to be refilled or recharged. In fact, for a lot of people, they are the only type of vape they'll ever need. A disposable is very compact and each device on average will outlast 20 cigarettes - at a fraction of the price.
What the law says:
Disposable vapes:
- Should not contain quantities of more than 2ml (this equates to around 600 puffs)
- Must not contain nicotine in excess of 20mg/ml
- Labelled with a UK or EU address
The vapes seized did not comply with one or more of the above areas.
If local residents wish to make Trading Standards aware of areas of concern with regards to vapes, either potential illegal vapes or underage sales of vapes please contact our Trading Standards team on 01635 519930 or email tsadvice@westberks.gov.uk
