More than four million illegal vapes seized at UK border as number quadruple in just one year

Just 4,430 vapes were seized in 2021, with numbers soaring over the past two years

Millions of illegally imported vapes were seized at the UK border last year, with the figures quadrupling in just one year, new data has revealed.

The figures show more than 4.5 million vapes were seized by the UK Border Force between January and October last year.

Just 4,430 vapes were seized in 2021, rising to 988,064 in 2022, and soaring to 4,537,689 in 2023 - a huge rise in just 36 months.

Disposable e-cigarettes are strictly regulated in the UK with limits on their fluid and nicotine level, 2ml of liquid with 20mg of nicotine per mililite which provide around 500-600 puffs of vapour.

However, illegal vapes brought back from other countries can promise thousands of puffs of vapour.

Illegal vapes are not subject to the same quality control processes as they are not registered with the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency and therefore may contain harmful chemicals.

The number of illegal vapes rose by millions in just three years (Getty Images)

A Home Office spokesman told the BBC, which uncovered the figures through an Freedom of Information request, that the government would “not tolerate the sale of illegal products and… harmful goods, such as illegal or counterfeit vapes”.

They added: “Border Force work closely with law enforcement partners to share intelligence and have a strong track record in targeting illicit commodities.”

The latest figures come one month after the government said it would bring forward its plans to restrict the sale of vapes to children “as soon as possible” in the new year.

Vaping has seen a expontential rise over the last few years with the Office for National Statistics reporting weeks ago that 8.7 per cent of the population now vape - or 4.5 million adults.

Health minister Andrea Leadsom told the Commons in December the Tobacco and Vapes Bill could begin its passage into law very soon.

The Bill aims to restrict flavours and descriptions of e-cigarettes so they are not specifically targeted at children and MPs campaigning for the change have commented on the way that flavours of vapes are named to resemble sweets.

Banning disposable vapes would protect children (Nicholas T Ansell/PA) (PA Wire)

Speaking in the House of Commons, Ms Leadsom said: “We all know it is an offence to sell vapes to children under 18, yet one in five children has tried a vape in 2023 alone. The numbers trying it have tripled in the last three years.

“We know the industry is targeting children quite cynically. It is unacceptable, so our Tobacco and Vapes Bill will restrict the appeal and availability of vapes to children.”

Other planned restrictions include the sale of disposable vapes and regulating where vapes can be sold.

Among the government’s other moves to clamp down on tobacco use are its proposals to create a “smoke-free generation”.

This would see the legal age of sale for tobacco products raised each year to prevent younger generations from taking up smoking.