UK Survey: A Quarter of Vape Retailers Still Selling Banned Disposable Products

Key Points:

·After more than a month since the ban on disposable e-cigarettes was implemented in the UK, 23% of stores are still illegally selling them. 

·34% of e-cigarette users say they are willing to purchase disposable e-cigarettes after the ban, indicating a clear demand on the black market. 

·Glasgow and London have the highest rates of non-compliance, while stores in Bristol, Cardiff, Liverpool and Manchester have not been found to be selling them unlawfully. 

·Online nicotine retail Haypp has warned consumers against buying disposable e-cigarettes on the black market, as these products may be counterfeit, untested, and unsafe.

【2Firsts News Flash】According to Convenience Store's July 16th report, a representative from the UK online nicotine product retailer Haypp recently visited multiple e-cigarette shops in nine major cities in the UK, including London, Cardiff, and Glasgow, to investigate how retailers are enforcing the ban on disposable e-cigarettes.

Despite the widespread publicity of the ban and the legal risks associated with selling prohibited disposable e-cigarettes, an investigation has found that nearly a quarter (23%) of retailers are still selling the banned products over a month after the ban took effect. Additionally, as many as 34% of e-cigarette users have indicated that they may continue to purchase disposable products even after the ban.

Glasgow and London are the worst offenders, with some shops in Birmingham, Nottingham, and Sheffield also willing to sell disposable products. In contrast, none of the shops visited in Bristol, Cardiff, Liverpool, or Manchester were found to sell disposable e-cigarettes.

Haypp has discovered that primarily independent e-cigarette stores are openly violating the ban. However, in Birmingham, a local branch of a large national convenience store chain was found selling disposable e-cigarettes.

This confidential report also uncovered that some retailers have indicated that although they will continue to sell disposable e-cigarettes, they will only do so in boxes rather than individually. Additionally, some stores only accept cash and do not provide receipts.

Haypp spokesperson Markus Lindblad stated:

“Banning disposable e-cigarettes can lead to unethical retailers operating in the black market. Enforcing this ban will require significant resources. While consumers may be tempted to purchase disposable e-cigarettes on the black market, we urge them not to do so. If they are not concerned about the legal consequences, they should be concerned about their health, as many of these products may be counterfeit, untested, and unsafe.”