Thousands of illegal vapes continue to be swept up by the authorities despite major changes to legislation
Merseyside Police seize illegal vapes from an Old Swan shop(Image: Liverpool Echo)
The sale of illegal vapes across Liverpool is making “more money than cocaine” as efforts continue at pace to smash the trade in the city. More than £15,000 worth of illegal vapes were taken off Liverpool’s streets as the city council’s trading standards swooped on rogue traders in a joint operation with Merseyside Police.
As of June 1, it is now illegal to sell or supply single-use or disposable vapes throughout the UK. The new legislation applies to all disposable vapes, regardless of whether they contain nicotine, and covers both in-store and online sales.
However, as the ECHO joined officers from the Cunard Building and Tuebrook police station as they swept on a number of businesses in the area, it is clear some of the traders across the city are not yet playing ball.
The vape ban targets all non-rechargeable, non-refillable vaping products. However, rechargeable and refillable vape devices are not affected and remain legal for sale.
The UK Government is implementing the ban to address the environmental impact of disposable vape waste. In Liverpool, disposable vapes are particularly popular among young people, with 78% choosing non-rechargeable, non-refillable products.
Before the operation last week, Michael Hearty, from the alcohol and tobacco unit explained to the ECHO the scale of the challenge ahead. He said how on one visit to Liverpool Meat and Fish Market a stash worth £105,000 was seized.
Merseyside Police search for illegal vapes in Old Swan Off License(Image: Liverpool Echo)
He added: “Some of the concealments they have now are sophisticated, walls coming up and down. They must be paying people a lot of money.
“I know it’s only vapes but in other places it could be weapons. There are people probably making more money out of this than cocaine.
“This is a lower level of risk to them.” More than 1,000 non-permitted vapes were recovered from three locations in Clubmoor and Old Swan.
One of the shops visited – King Vape – was shut down for three months last June for the sale of illegal vapes and cigarettes. Upon arrival at Booze Butler on Queens Drive, officers found a 25-year-old worker on duty alone in the shop. Hundreds of single use vapes were concealed behind the till while another box of illicit goods was found in a store room at the back of the shop.
A filing cabinet was also filled to the brim with vapes which were bagged and seized by officials. The worker told officers how the owner of the shop was not present, with him placing a call to the officials to say he was in Birmingham and the items found were in fact old stock.
Merseyside Police seize illegal vapes from an Old Swan shop(Image: Liverpool Echo)
This didn’t wash with the licensing team. A further discovery was made before officers left the shop with a box of illegal vapes hidden behind a kickboard on the floor near the till.
Currently, nearly 5m single-use vapes are discarded every week, contributing significantly to litter and landfill issues. In addition to environmental concerns, the legislation also seeks to reduce the rising popularity of vaping among young people.
The proportion of 16 to 24-year-olds who vape has increased by almost 10% over the past two years. In June 2023, directors of public health across Merseyside released a joint statement in support of the ban, highlighting the need to protect children from aggressive marketing by vape and tobacco companies.
Residents can return reusable vapes to distributors for recycling. Retailers who possess any leftover single-use vaping products, should mark them as unsellable and separate them from other goods. They must be removed from sale until collected for disposal.
Professor Matt Ashton, Liverpool director of public health, said: “The ban on disposable vapes is a crucial step in protecting public health and addressing the environmental impact of these products.
“Reducing access, particularly among young people, helps prevent potential health risks associated with vaping and nicotine addiction. I applaud the work of our Trading Standards team and Merseyside Police in removing illegal vapes from circulation.
Merseyside Police seize illegal vapes in a West Derby shop(Image: Liverpool Echo)
“Their efforts reinforce Liverpool’s commitment to creating a safer, healthier environment for everyone, and are all part of our ambitious plans to create a smoke and vape free future for the city.”
Around £6,000 worth were taken in seven bags from King Vape alone. One of the police officers told the ECHO: “Organised crime groups (OCGs) get involved in this and from a police point of view, this disrupts organised activity.”
However the issues continue to pile up. Documents filed by the authority’s trading standards department revealed how almost £8,000 worth of illegal vapes were seized from a GoLocal store in Norris Green which now faces losing its premises licence.
Such a sanction was handed out to MP Food and Wine in Belle Vale just last week as the city council’s licensing and gambling sub-committee likened the operation of the shop to drug dealers owing to the “professionally installed” concealments used to hide illicit vapes.
Around £6,000 worth of contraband stock had been hidden away and sold to the public despite instructions not to do so.
The efforts to crackdown on the illegal vape trade was welcomed by the city’s political leadership. Cllr Harry Doyle, cabinet member for health, wellbeing and culture said: “This operation is a clear demonstration of our commitment to protecting public health and ensuring compliance with new legislation.
“Removing illegal vapes from circulation is a crucial step in preventing young people from accessing harmful products and tackling environmental waste. Liverpool Council will continue working with our partners to ensure businesses are following the law and putting the health of our communities first.”