Investigators seize illegal vapes and catch Portsmouth shopkeepers selling items to child in crackdown

Portsmouth City Council is cracking down on business owners selling fake e-cigarettes as they have been shown to contain harmful chemicals. Trading Standards investigators sent a 15-year-old into shops to see if they could buy disposable vapes.

Two retailers were witnessed selling products to them. Officers were seen storming premises in Albert Road and Highland Road, in Southsea, last week.

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In total, eight shops were raided around the city. Councillor Ian Holder, cabinet member for safety in the community, said: “This work by our trading standards team shows a deeply concerning situation.

"Our focus is now more and more on illegal vapes, which are displayed openly on store shelves, rather than hidden like illicit tobacco products. There's clearly a growing threat to the health and wellbeing of our children.

"And unregulated sales of such products fuel an illicit market that may be linked to other criminal activities." Roughly 6,500 illegal disposable vapes, worth around £83,000, have been seized in Trading Standards operations backed by police

The government body are concerned the products are being marketed towards children using fruity flavours and colourful packaging. Vapes which were seized broke regulations regarding labelling and ingredients.

These products are only allowed to hold 2ml of liquid – 600 puffs – by law, but some were found to have enough for 9,000 puffs, which would deliver a high dose of nicotine. Tests are being carried out on the confiscated products, with legal action being prepared against the businesses.

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Unlimited fines can be dished out to shopkeepers, or they could face up to two years in prison. As reported in the BBC in May, vapes confiscated from school children in the Midlands had high levels of lead, nickel and chromium.

Helen Atkinson, PCC’s director of public health, said it is not advisable for non-smokers or young people to vape and it should be primarily used as an aid to stop smoking.

She added: “The marketing of vapes with designs and flavours that could appeal to children is therefore very concerning. It is especially concerning that there is a rise of illegal vapes being sold which may not have been through appropriate testing and safety measures."