Illegal vapes and underage sales

Underage sales of vapes

The law on vape sales

By law you must be over 18 years old to buy vapes or e-cigarettes.

Under proposed laws making their way through Parliament, this age restriction will rise each year, making it increasingly difficult for young people to purchase these products. Furthermore, there will be new restrictions on flavours and packaging, and increased controls over the way shops display such products. There are also plans to ban disposable vapes altogether.

The work of Trading Standards to combat underage vape sales

Trading Standards carries out ongoing underage test purchasing operations to test the systems and procedures in shops. This is to ensure they are effective in preventing the sale of these products to young people. We use intelligence from the public to direct these activities.

Report concerns about underage vape sales

If you would like to report concerns about the sale of vapes to underage children from specific shops or premises, please report to the Citizens Advice Consumer Service. You can remain anonymous if you wish.

The Citizens Advice Consumer Service log the reports on our behalf and pass them onto us. They can also give you free, independent advice on consumer issues and your rights at the same time.

Sale of illegal vapes

Our Trading Standards Team also carries out extensive enforcement in relation to the sale of illegal vapes. Often these are intended for sale in other countries and don't comply with UK safety standards.

Common issues we find include:

• Tank sizes that are illegal in the UK due to the quantities of liquid they contain
• Vapes that wrongly state they contain no nicotine

How to spot an illegal vape

Things to look for to identify if a vape is illegal:

Check the health warnings

• In the UK, the health warning must cover 30% of the front and back of the pack
• The health warning must read "This product contains nicotine which is a highly addictive substance" - use of the word 'chemical' is only used in the USA market. In the UK, we use 'substance'.

Check for nicotine content

• The product must indicate the nicotine content and delivery per dose
• The maximum e-liquid capacity is 2ml
• The maximum nicotine strength is 20mg (2%)

Check the manufacturer details

• The vape packaging must contain the manufacturer or importer name and contact details
• The manufacturer or importer must be registered on the MHRA website (MHRA = Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency)

Report concerns about illegal vape sales

If you would like to report concerns about illegal vape sales, please report to the Citizens Advice Consumer Service. You can remain anonymous if you wish.

The Citizens Advice Consumer Service log the reports on our behalf and pass them onto us. They can also give you free, independent advice on consumer issues and your rights at the same time. 

Illegal vape seizures

In 2023, Trading Standards seized 20,000 illegal vapes in Peterborough and Cambridgeshire.

Read our press releases to find out more information:

• 'Food store to close for three months following Trading Standards investigation' - Peterborough
• 'Multi-agency operations take place across Peterborough to tackle illegal vapes and tobacco'

Statistics on illegal vapes and underage sales of vapes in Peterborough

Illegal vapes

Underage sales of vapes