Scotland saw an extra 3,291 (+19.4%) illicit vapes seized between January and October 2024 versus the whole of 2023, according to latest council data.
The figures highlight a troubling trend, stated vape retailer Totally Wicked, which obtained the data through hundreds of FOI requests to councils and authorities
Highland Council reported the largest increase, with the number of vapes seized rising by an extraordinary 1,095.8%, from 291 vapes in 2023 to 3,480 in 2024.
West Lothian Council saw a 410.2% increase, with 500 illegal vapes seized in 2024, compared to 98 in 2023.
Glasgow City Council remains the most affected area, with seized vape figures more than doubling (105.63% increase) to 5,735 vapes this year.
In contrast, some areas saw declines, such as West Dunbartonshire, where the number of vapes seized dropped by 89.20%, and Fife, which experienced an 80.15% reduction.
Enforcement efforts have resulted in 1.5 million vapes being seized across the UK so far this year, versus 2.5 million in the whole of 2023.
The East of England saw the largest increase of illegal vape seizures in 2024, with 336,507 more vapes seized by authorities than the previous year. A large portion of the growth came from Essex County Council which recorded the highest volume of illegal vape seizures in the country, this was due to 329,000 non-compliant units being refused entry at seaports and subsequently returned to their country of origin.
The North East and South West of England also experienced an increasing number of illegal vape seizures.
Totally Wicked’s CEO and Chairman of the Independent British Vape Trade Association (IBVTA), said:
“Some distributors and retailers are either unaware or choose not to follow the rules. We welcome any crackdown on illegal and unsafe vaping products, as it helps protect consumers and ensures that only compliant products are available on the market. Retailers must source vapes from trusted, regulated distributors to guarantee they are selling safe products.”
