Key Points
• Seizures: around 58,000 counterfeit vapes and tobacco products seized in Hampshire over the past year
• Authority: Hampshire Trading Standards
• Branding tactic: products disguised with counterfeit branding, including familiar “sweet brands” and well-known drinks-company brands
• Enforcement: shop checks for legal compliance; counterfeit-branded products removed from the marketplace
• Risk: rechargeable devices with lithium batteries may present a fire risk if cheaply manufactured
2Firsts, January 5, 2026 – According to Hellorayo, around 58,000 counterfeit vapes and tobacco products have been seized from UK's Hampshire over the 2025.
Richard Strawson, Hampshire’s Head of Trading Standards, said officers often find vape products disguised under fake branding.
He said his team does a lot of work detecting counterfeit unsafe vapes, noting that vape products are carefully controlled for safety but counterfeiters take advantage of strong demand.
Strawson said what they often see are branded products using “sweet brands” or other familiar brands as a marketing tool. He said these are counterfeit, illegally produced products that are illegally using the brand of a well-known drinks company or similar.
He said officers go into shops to look at vape products, ensure they are legally compliant, and often also identify products carrying counterfeit brands in order to remove them from the marketplace.
He also warned about the dangers of counterfeit vapes, saying many now contain lithium batteries because they are rechargeable, raising safety questions. If they are cheaply manufactured and produced, he said, they present a real fire risk when plugged in to recharge.
Image source: Hellorayo
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