Welsh government provides funding to support crackdown on illegal vaping trade

The Welsh government will provide funding to the Welsh Trading Standards to help combat the illegal e-cigarette trade within Wales.

Welsh Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing, Lynne Neagle, announced that this funding will continue the previous efforts to tackle illegal tobacco. In earlier projects, over 840,000 illegal cigarettes and more than 400 kilograms of illegal hand-rolled tobacco were seized from commercial premises across Wales.

Officials from the Welsh Trading Standards will take measures to protect children and young people, as well as consumers of legal age, who are increasingly using e-cigarettes, while also safeguarding legitimate businesses in Wales.

They will identify illegal retailers through test purchases, using detection dogs, gathering intelligence, and conducting inspections at ports to ensure that illegal and potentially dangerous products are swiftly and effectively removed from the market.

Ms. Neagle stated, "In Wales, we will not tolerate the supply of illegal e-cigarettes. This is a complex and large-scale issue affecting every community in Wales, and the funding we provide will help enforcement officials stop the illegal e-cigarette products from being sold in Wales. Not only are these products illegally sold to children, but some have been found to contain hazardous chemicals and high levels of metals, such as lead."

"Illegal e-cigarette products are also linked to crime and child sexual exploitation. The key is that this enhanced enforcement will reduce the risk of children accessing these products and facing abuse."

"This is also beneficial for the environment, reducing the potential harm these dangerous products can cause through improper disposal."

Judith Parry, chair of the Welsh Trading Standards, stated, "The Welsh Trading Standards welcomes the funding support from the Welsh government to carry out this project. Initially, e-cigarettes were seen as a way to support quitting smoking. Unfortunately, we have seen the rise of the illegal and disposable e-cigarette market, which is currently the primary focus of trading standards. The number of illegal products entering Wales through ports and other routes has reached hundreds of thousands."

"The Welsh Trading Standards is concerned about the impact these products have on our young people, many of whom have never smoked before starting to use e-cigarettes. Many of these products may contain illegal substances, such as heavy metals, and long-term exposure to these substances can cause harm to individuals."

"This is a complex area of work intertwined with organized crime and child sexual exploitation. Therefore, it should not be viewed as a victimless crime, and trading standards services across Wales will work closely with partner agencies to ensure that the illegal e-cigarette trade is regulated as effectively and efficiently as possible."