Tens of thousands of illegal vapes are being seized from black market vape sellers in police raids across the UK every month.
Non-regulated vapes pose a danger as they may contain different amounts of nicotine to the amounts stated on the packaging, as well as having a higher chance of containing harmful chemicals.
An estimated one-third of vapes currently sold in the UK are believed to be non-compliant with regulations. This figure could see a substantial rise with the upcoming disposable vape ban in 2025.
Vape Superstore wanted to find out how prevalent this issue is and which UK regions have the biggest problem with black market vape distribution.
What we did
Using FOI (Freedom of Information) requests, we ranked the UK councils that have the most businesses selling illegal vapes and the number of illegal vapes/cigarettes seized between 1st January 2023 and 29th February 2024.
Key findings
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Kent County Council seized more illegal vapes than any UK council, counting 431,005 in total. Many of these arrive through the Eurotunnel terminal and the Port of Dover.
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Lancashire County Council has the most businesses stocking illegal vapes, with 132 dodgy shops in total.
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Carmarthenshire County Council seized the most illegal cigarettes in the UK, with a total of 160,000 packets.
The UK councils with the biggest illegal vape and cigarette issues
| Council | Illegal Vapes Seized | Businesses Stocking Illegal Vapes | Illegal Cigarettes Seized (Packets) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kent County Council | 431,005 | 85 | 144,727 |
| Isle of Anglesey County Council | 352,704 | 5 | 0 |
| Swansea Council | 154,737 | 19 | 54,797 |
| Lancashire County Council | 54,985 | 132 | 31,779 |
| Hertfordshire County Council | 21,160 | 83 | 96,823 |
| Staffordshire County Council | 17,229 | 33 | 8,769 |
| Warwickshire County Council | 16,062 | 58 | 46,255 |
| Hampshire County Council | 15,999 | 16 | 4,059 |
| Lincolnshire County Council | 15,387 | 36 | 14,917 |
| Leicestershire County Council | 14,859 | 31 | 4,709 |
| Surrey County Council | 12,381 | 42 | 5,039 |
| Nottinghamshire County Council | 11,065 | 41 | 6,202 |
| Cambridgeshire County Council | 10,815 | 11 | 3,352 |
| Derbyshire County Council | 10,396 | 55 | 2,857 |
| Worcestershire County Council | 9,101 | 47 | 7,251 |
| Devon County Council | 8,600 | 34 | 31,233 |
| Carmarthenshire County Council | 7,500 | 3 | 160,000 |
| Cardiff Council | 6,952 | 79 | 3,806 |
| Gwynedd Council | 6,947 | 7 | 225 |
| Suffolk County Council | 5,930 | 24 | 12,806 |
| City of Edinburgh Council | 5,871 | 26 | 191 |
| Norfolk County Council | 4,977 | 23 | 2,596 |
| Gloucestershire County Council | 4,752 | 20 | 56,845 |
| Oxfordshire County Council | 4,288 | 19 | 1,100 |
| Glasgow City Council | 3,536 | 46 | 8,166 |
| North Ayrshire Council | 2,958 | 48 | 812 |
| Fife Council | 2,464 | 23 | 397 |
| Midlothian Council | 2,363 | 11 | 0 |
| Essex County Council | 2,333 | 16 | 4,396 |
| East Sussex County Council | 2,163 | 24 | 5,628 |
| Renfrewshire Council | 2,105 | 17 | 66 |
| Denbighshire County Council | 2,029 | 32 | 940 |
| West Sussex County Council | 2,024 | 17 | 6,660 |
| Flintshire County Council | 1,684 | 20 | 22,032 |
| North Lanarkshire Council | 1,678 | 3 | 3,861 |
| Powys County Council | 991 | 3 | 0 |
| West Dunbartonshire Council | 988 | 1 | 677 |
| Belfast City Council | 671 | 4 | 471 |
| Monmouthshire County Council | 599 | 6 | 0 |
| Vale of Glamorgan Council | 545 | 8 | 0 |
| West Lothian Council | 500 | 0 | 5,000 |
| Highland Council | 468 | 3 | 200 |
| South Ayrshire Council | 461 | 5 | 6 |
| Dundee City Council | 449 | 5 | 190 |
| Perth and Kinross Council | 237 | 3 | 406 |
| East Ayrshire Council | 228 | 3 | 1,042 |
| East Dunbartonshire Council | 166 | 1 | 90 |
| Pembrokeshire County Council | 155 | 4 | 0 |
| Aberdeenshire Council | 121 | 4 | 547 |
| Stirling Council | 89 | 11 | 0 |
| Aberdeen City Council | 63 | 17 | 2 |
| Dumfries and Galloway Council | 61 | 2 | 0 |
| Clackmannanshire Council | 7 | 8 | 0 |
| Angus Council | 0 | 0 | 2,100 |
| Falkirk Council | 0 | 0 | 644 |
| Scottish Borders Council | 0 | 0 | 39 |
| Moray Council | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Fermanagh and Omagh District Council | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Ards and North Down Borough Council | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Argyll and Bute Council | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ceredigion County Council | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Comhairle nan Eilean Siar | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Derry City and Strabane District Council | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| East Renfrewshire Council | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Inverclyde Council | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mid and East Antrim Borough Council | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mid Ulster District Council | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Newry, Mourne and Down District Council | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Orkney Islands Council | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Shetland Islands Council | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Number of illegal vapes seized by UK councils, mapped
The full ranking can be seen in the table above – as well as the interactive map right:
Where do most shops stock illegal vapes in the UK?
The top ten councils with businesses reported to be selling illegal vapes are Lancashire (132 shops), Kent (85), Hertfordshire (83), Cardiff (79), Warwickshire (58), Derbyshire (55), North Ayrshire (48), Worcestershire (47), Glasgow (46) and Surrey (42).
See the data visualised on the map below:
How many packets of illegal cigarettes are seized across the UK?
It’s not just vapes that are being confiscated in their thousands across the country. Illegal cigarettes are also a serious issue, with 160,000 packets being seized in Carmarthenshire (south-west Wales) alone. This is the highest number in the UK.
The locations that make up the rest of the top ten include Kent (144,727), Hertfordshire (96,823), Gloucestershire (56,845), Swansea (54,797), Warwickshire (46,255), Lancashire (31,779), Devon (31,233), Flintshire (22,032) and Lincolnshire (14,917).
Click on the map below to see the full scale of numbers:
Survey reveals a knowledge gap among consumers
A 2023 Vape Superstore survey with 1,381 disposable vape users investigated their knowledge of black-market vaping products. The findings revealed that:
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50.3% were unfamiliar with the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) regulations.
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83% were unaware of the potential health risks associated with illicit disposable vapes.
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36.4% said black-market vapes were better value for money.
- 34.1% were not aware there was a difference between illicit devices and regulated disposables.
What makes certain vape products illegal?
Vapes should only be legally sold to those over 18, but the cheaper price of illegal products is particularly attractive to children.
UK laws also cover the ingredients, strength of nicotine and capacity of tanks. Some of the recovered illegal vape products had a liquid capacity of 14ml, which is seven times the legal limit.
Studies of illegal vapes discovered high levels of dangerous chemicals such as lead, nickel and chromium.
How to make sure you are buying legal vapes
Here are tips to ensure that you never make the mistake of buying a counterfeit or illegal vape product:
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Check for authenticity
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Look for well-known brands
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Be wary of unusually low prices
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Ask the retailer to provide proof of TPD compliance
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Stay informed with the latest regulations and safety guidelines
Read more about TPD regulations for vaping and the dangers of black market vaping products in Vape Superstore’s comprehensive report here.
Methodology
We started by pulling a list of all councils in the United Kingdom. We then sent each individual council a FOI (Freedom of Information) request to find out:
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How many illegal disposable vapes/e-cigarette/e-liquids were seized
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How many cases have been identified, where a business is stocking, or in possession of, illegal vaping products
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How many illegal packets of cigarettes were seized
We then ranked the councils to show which have the highest count of the above factors. Data was requested for the period of 1st January 2023 - 29th February 2024.
Data is correct as of June 2024.
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