UK’s illegal vaping hotspot revealed as 1.2 million dangerous devices seized

The UK's illegal vaping hotspot has been revealed as data shows more than 1.2 million dangerous devices were seized last year.

In recent months the UK Government has pledged to crack down on vaping, with plans to ban disposable vapes this year with a focus on protecting young people and also stopping the impact the single-use devices are having on the environment.

A vaping tax is also on the cards to make vaping more expensive for those who continue the habit after disposable devices have been banned, with it seen as a better alternative to smoking but still a habit that causes your body harm.

But with the crack down on the horizon, the black market for vaping is steadily growing. And as a result, authorities are doing their best to clamp down on illicit vapes being accessible to people.

In 2024, £9 million of illegal vapes were seized by authorities in the UK showing that the problem is very much real as the ban nears with the law to come in place from 1 June this year.

The problem with illegal vaping devices is that they can contain unregulated nicotine levels that are above the UK legal limit.

This could cause illness or even have extra chemicals in the devices that could be toxic to your body.

Illegal vapes are on the rise in the UK (Getty Stock Images)

Last year, new data has shown that the London Borough of Hillingdon was the worst area of the UK when it came to illegal vapes, with 4,84,954 seized by authorities. That was up 116 percent year on year.

The second worst location in the country was Essex, where 336,600 illegal vapes were taken off the UK streets. But the problem has growth immensely in the area, up 14,000 percent on 2023.

Shockingly, these two areas accounted for more than 800,000 of the entire haul of illegal vapes.

Liverpool was the third worst area in England, coming in with 29,180 illegal vapes seized by authorities; a number that was up by 48.7 percent on the previous 12 months.

Ben Johnson, chief executive of vaping business Riot Labs, has previously said politicians should introduce a licensing scheme for the devices, with Johnson of the belief that banning vapes will not work.

The UK will soon ban disposable vapes (Getty Stock Images)

He said: "The bottom line is, the illegal vape black market is booming due to a lack of enforcement and the Government's ongoing attempts to use prohibition, which is only fuelling the problem. Prohibition does not work.

"Vapes have a vital role to play in the Government's smoke free ambitions, helping millions of adult smokers quit."

Fourth on the list was Manchester with 26,007 illegal vapes seized; down 83 percent on 2023. And fifth was nearby Lancashire, where 21,501 illicit devices were taken off the streets. This was a 54 percent reduction year on year for the area.

Dan Marchant, chief executive of the Vape Club, which carried out the report in to illegal vapes, added: "Innocent Brits who are using vapes as a legitimate tool to quit are being exploited by the black market, and more has to be done to protect them. Dangerously high nicotine levels and contaminated products are reaching consumers due to this illicit activity."

The data comes after it was reported that vaping could in fact be more dangerous than smoking.

One recent study found that vaping is worse than smoking (Getty Stock Images)

Researchers at Manchester Metropolitan University’s Institute of Sport revealed that their new study on vaping due to how habits different between vaping and smoking.

"Smokers tend to go outside and smoke, and once a cigarette is finished they have to light up another to keep going," Dr Maxime Boidin said.

“But with vapes, you just keep going and it’s much harder to know how many puffs you’ve had. It’s much easier to vape continuously because you can do it in places where smoking might be less acceptable.

“What we have found is the dangers for someone who keeps vaping are no different from smokers.”