£15k of illegal vapes seized in citywide swoop

MORE than £15,000 worth of illegal vapes have been taken off Liverpool’s streets as the city council’s trading standards swooped on rogue traders in a joint operation with Merseyside Police.

- By DAVID HUMPHREYS Local Democracy Reporter

The ECHO joined officers as they visited three shops across the city following a change to legislation around the sale of disposable vapes.

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.

In Liverpool, disposable vapes are particularly popular among young people, with 78% choosing non-rechargeable, non-refillable products before the ban.

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.