Liverpool City Council has announced the successful seizure and disposal of over 15,000 illegal vapes. The operation, which has seen multiple shops forced to close and 18 shop owners fined, has a total estimated value of £180,000. Court prosecutions are continuing at pace, with fines totalling over £3,500 already levied. The illegal vapes seized were found to exceed the permitted levels of nicotine by a significant margin, with many claiming to give between 3,500 and 9,000 puffs.
While vaping is considered to be a useful tool for those looking to reduce or quit smoking, the illegal vapes seized by the operation are above the legal limit of 20mg per millilitre of nicotine and 600 puffs. The successful operation has been overseen by the Liverpool City Council Alcohol and Tobacco Unit, along with Public Health and City Law & Governance colleagues. According to Professor Matt Ashton, Director of Public Health, the success of the operation has resulted in a significant reduction of harmful products in the area.
The Alcohol and Tobacco Unit is encouraging anyone with information about the illegal sale of alcohol or tobacco to report the activity anonymously. Reports of sales to under 18s can also be made on the ‘Report Illegal Trading’ webpage. While genuine vaping products remain a popular and effective aid for those looking to quit smoking, it is important that those products come from reputable retailers.
The message to traders who engage in illegal sales is clear: operations like these will continue to protect the safety and health of the public. The swift and effective action taken by the Council and its partners has resulted in the successful protection of vulnerable groups, including children and young adults under the age of 18, from the harmful effects of illegal vaping products
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