Derbyshire，UK officials seize nearly 2500 illegal disposable e-cigarettes

Key points of the event:

The ban in the UK covers all disposable e-cigarettes, with 2418 seized in Derbyshire involving multiple shops. 

Violations include retailers being unaware, intentionally breaking the law, clearing out old stock, or sourcing items from outside the area. Before the ban, the county had seized 6000 over-the-limit e-cigarettes, and 5% of products with illegal nicotine content are still circulating. 

Manufacturers have introduced compliant alternatives, but some shop owners have seen a 25% decrease in profits. In the past 12 months, there have been 4 cases of selling tobacco to minors. Enforcement was initially lenient, but repeat offenders will now face harsh penalties.

According to a report by the BBC on August 6, trade standards officials in Derbyshire, UK have confiscated nearly 2,500 disposable e-cigarettes since a nationwide ban went into effect on June 1.

This ban applies to all retailers, including online stores, and prohibits the sale of disposable e-cigarettes. The main purpose is to reduce environmental damage and address adolescent addiction issues.

Law enforcement officials across Derbyshire have reported encountering some retailers who claim to be "unaware" that the ban has been implemented.

Derby County Council trading standards manager Owen Rees said, "Over the past four to five years, e-cigarettes have become an issue, and due to this ban, we have had to reallocate resources.

The owner of an e-cigarette store in Derbyshire, who declined to give their name, stated that they are aware of other stores selling disposable e-cigarettes under the counter, and they still have customers coming in to ask if they have disposable e-cigarettes for sale.

The shop owner claimed that e-cigarette manufacturers have made adjustments to produce products similar to disposable e-cigarettes but compliant with the new regulations.

These devices have a similar appearance, but they are rechargeable, and the pre-filled nicotine pod at the top can be replaced once used up.

However, he added that disposable e-cigarettes used to be a "profitable business" and since the ban was implemented, his profits have decreased by 25%.

Someone tried to sell me disposable e-cigarettes at a discounted price, which is illegal. I follow the regulations, but others do not. Disposable e-cigarettes are still popular and people still want to buy them. Now, all the ones being sold are leftover stock from before the ban was implemented, and some stores are deliberately sourcing them from other places to sell.

Before the ban took effect from April 2024 to March 2025, the enforcement efforts of the trade standard team resulted in the seizure of 6,000 e-cigarettes from 32 out of the 44 inspected shops.

The council stated that the majority of violations were due to e-liquid devices exceeding the 2 milliliter or "600 puff" limit.

Since the ban went into effect on June 1st, the county has confiscated 2418 disposable e-cigarettes, primarily from stores in Ilkeston, Chesterfield, and Bolsover.

The council also stated that, in the past 12 months, there have been 22 test purchases conducted, with 4 instances of e-cigarettes being sold to minors — primarily occurring in Chesterfield.

Lis also added that law enforcement officials are still confiscating e-cigarettes with a nicotine content of 5%, which is more than twice the legal limit in the UK.

Regarding changes in law enforcement actions, Reese said, "In the past, the e-cigarettes we confiscated usually had e-liquid capacities exceeding 2 milliliters (which is the legal limit), and sometimes nicotine levels also exceeded the legal limit of 2%. Now we are encountering disposable e-cigarettes that should not be sold after June 1st, and we have seized them. We believe there may be several reasons for this, including some retailers simply not knowing the ban has been implemented, some deliberately disregarding the law. In addition, some are trying to clear out old inventory, thinking they can do so, and others are deliberately sourcing products from other regions in the country for resale.

Due to the ban only being in effect for the past few months, law enforcement officials in Derbyshire initially may be more lenient and urge businesses to comply with the regulations. However, repeat offenders will face "more formal penalties.