- Over 15,000 illegal vapes have now been seized and disposed of
- Total sale value of the vapes would total around £180,000
- Court prosecutions continue at pace, with over £3,500 in fines now handed out
- Many of the illegal products seized exceeded the maximum permitted levels of Nicotine
Liverpool City Council has now disposed of over 15,000 illegal vapes at an estimated total value of over £180,000, as the Council’s operations targeting the sale of these devices continue at pace.
In addition to the 10 shops that have been forced to close for selling the dangerous products, a further 18 shop owners have been prosecuted in the courts and fined a combined total of over £3,500 for selling vapes to children under the age of 18.
Whilst genuine vaping products can be an effective tool for those looking to quit smoking, all of the vapes seized are illegal as they exceed the legal limit of 20mg per millilitre of Nicotine and 600 puffs. Instead, many of them claim to offer between 3,500 and 9,000 puffs.
Professor Matt Ashton, Director of Public Health at Liverpool City Council, said: “The continued success of our work targeting illegal vapes has now resulted in a large number of these harmful products being taken out of circulation.
The incredible work of the Alcohol and Tobacco Unit alongside City Law & Governance and Public Health colleagues, sends a clear message to other retailers in our city who are trading in illegal products. While genuine vaping products continue to provide a viable alternative for those who want to quit smoking, the guidance remains that these should always be sourced from reputable retailers and if you don’t smoke already, don’t start vaping.”
If you are aware of anyone selling alcohol or tobacco products illegally, you can report them to the Alcohol and Tobacco Unit anonymously. Sales to under 18s can also be reported on the ‘Report Illegal Trading’ webpage here: https://liverpool.gov.uk/contact-us/service-area/report-illegal-trading/
