Rampant illegal vapes in Norfolk, UK, are squeezing compliant retailers' survival space

Retailers of e-cigarettes in Norfolk are reporting that shops selling illegal tobacco products are pushing them to the brink of bankruptcy, and the lack of regulation could permanently damage the industry.

Dave Clark runs Norfolk's largest independent e-cigarette retailer, The Vape Gurus.

He has stores in North Walsham, Aylsham, and Sheringham, and he previously quit smoking 70 cigarettes a day by using e-cigarettes.

In the early years, Clark said that as more non-smokers began using e-cigarettes, the demand for e-cigarette products was very high.

However, he stated that now most shops and newsstands typically stock disposable e-cigarettes.

He said: "The problem with disposable e-cigarettes is that many products have a nicotine content of 20mg, which is a huge amount of nicotine.

"The people selling these products do not really understand their health impacts."

"Another big issue is that illegal products are entering stores and are never regulated."

The legal volume limit for e-liquids in the UK is 2ml—up to 600 puffs.

However, Mr. Clark stated that he often hears customers say they can purchase products containing over 2000 puffs.

He said this is not only dangerous but also impacts business.

He said: "People see they can buy these illegal e-cigarettes at a cheaper price and think it’s a better value—we’ve lost a lot of customers because of this."

The UK government implemented regulations regarding the types of e-cigarettes sold in 2016, but Mr. Clark stated that the maximum fine of £5,000 does not effectively deter retailers from taking risks.

He said: "We need to see a tougher stance on violations.

"If no strong measures are taken, we could really see e-cigarette shops closing down."