Welsh Government funds crackdown on the illegal vaping market

Building on previous action against illegal tobacco, the Welsh Government will continue to step up its crackdown on illegal vaping products. In earlier operations, more than 840,000 illegal cigarettes and over 400 kilograms of illegal hand-rolling tobacco were seized from business premises across Wales.

Trading Standards officers in Wales will tackle illegal vaping products by:

• Conducting test purchases.
• Using detector dogs to identify rogue retailers.
• Gathering intelligence.
• Carrying out inspections at ports to ensure illegal and potentially dangerous products are removed from the market quickly and effectively.

This will help protect consumers from the harms of these products, including the growing number of children and young people using vaping products, while also safeguarding the interests of legitimate businesses in Wales.

Wales’ Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing, Lynne Neagle, said:

Wales will not tolerate the supply of illegal vaping products.

This is a complex and large-scale issue affecting every community in Wales, and the funding we are providing will help enforcement officers stop the sale of illegal vaping products in Wales.

Products sold illegally to children are not only against the law, but some may also be harmful to health, having been found to contain dangerous chemicals and high levels of harmful metals such as lead.

Illegal vaping products have also been linked to crime and the sexual exploitation of children.

Crucially, this strengthened enforcement will reduce children’s access to these products and lower their risk of abuse.

This is also good for the environment, reducing the harm caused by the improper disposal of these potentially dangerous products.

Judith Parry, Chair of Wales Trading Standards, said:

Wales Trading Standards welcomes the Welsh Government’s funding, which has made this project possible.

Vaping products were originally seen as a means of helping people quit smoking. Unfortunately, we are seeing a boom in the illegal and disposable vaping market, which is currently a major area of concern for Trading Standards.

Hundreds of thousands of illegal products have been seized entering Wales through Welsh ports and other routes.

Wales Trading Standards is concerned about the impact such products may have on young people, with many young people who had never previously smoked now starting to use vaping products. Many of these products may contain illegal substances, such as heavy metals, and long-term exposure to these substances could cause harm.

This is a complex area of work involving organised crime and the sexual exploitation of children. It should therefore not be seen as a victimless crime, and Trading Standards services across Wales will work closely with partner agencies to do everything possible to ensure the illegal vaping trade is regulated as efficiently and effectively as possible.