Britain has seen an influx of 2 million illegal e-cigarettes across its borders since 2022, as the country struggles to stem a surge in illegal e-cigarettes - enough to sell nearly four every minute, according to lancs.
The number of illegal e-cigarettes seized across the UK in the first four months of 2023 was seven times higher than in all of 2021, according to the latest Freedom of Information request obtained by Vape Club, which campaigns for the fight against illegal e-cigarettes. Lancashire is a hotspot for illegal vaping, figures show.
Since last year, a total of 14,552 illegal e-cigarettes have been seized. Illegal e-cigarette seizures have increased over the past four years, with just 333 recorded in 2019.
The industry is calling for these products to be treated as seriously as counterfeit cigarettes, with more than twice as many illegal e-cigarettes as counterfeit cigarettes seized in the UK this year. Since 2021, London, the South East and the North West have been among the top three regions for illegal e-cigarette seizures, with the UK's busiest border seeing the highest volume of illegal e-cigarette imports.
