Key Points:
·A Ripon shop and its director pleaded guilty to selling non-compliant vapes, including devices exceeding legal nicotine limits and lacking required labels.
·The director was fined £350（About $475）; the company avoided penalty as it had been dissolved.
·During two raids in 2024, officials seized hundreds of illegal products, including extreme-capacity vapes.
·North Yorkshire Council receives tips from schools, police, and the public about illegal vape sales.
·The UK banned disposable vapes in June to protect youth and the environment.
2Firsts, September 9th - according to BBC, UK North Yorkshire trading standards officials have warned that shopkeepers selling illegal vapes are endangering public health and face possible jail time.
The warning follows a case in which a Ripon retailer admitted selling vapes that exceeded the legal nicotine liquid capacity of 2ml and lacked required labelling.
Barlick Megatronic Mobiles Ltd (trading as Phonefix) and its 35-year-old director, Humayoun Khan, pleaded guilty to the charges at York Magistrates' Court. Since the company had been dissolved after the offences, the court imposed no penalty on the business. However, Khan was fined £350 and ordered to pay costs.
North Yorkshire Council’s trading standards team conducted two inspections at the shop in Ripon’s Arcade in 2024. During the first visit in February, officers seized 654 illegal products, including a vape containing 10,000 puffs—equivalent to roughly 50 packs of cigarettes—which was sold to an officer.
When officials returned in October, they found hundreds of non-compliant vapes, 226 of which lacked proper labelling, instructions, or dosage information. Another illegal vape with 9,000 puffs was sold to an officer during this visit.
Councillor Richard Foster of North Yorkshire Council emphasised that storing and selling illegal vapes could lead to criminal conviction, heavy fines, or imprisonment. He noted that the council receives tips from schools, police, and the public about shops selling vapes to minors or offering illegal products, and will take action against those breaking the law.
Foster added that given ongoing public concern over vaping, retailers should be aware of regulations surrounding vape sales. The UK-wide ban on disposable vapes introduced in June aims to protect children’s health and prevent environmental harm.
