Over three million illegal vapes seized across the South East
Over two million were following checks at local ports in Kent.
Last updated 23rd Jan 2026
Trading standard teams have seized more than three million illegal vapes across the South East since 2021.
New figures show over two million of those were found following checks on goods coming into the local ports in Kent and just under one million were found on the high street.
Jim Whiddett, Kent Trading Standards Operations Manager said:
"Those goods come in and then they get into the supply chain and could end up anywhere.
So for us, we see the same sorts of products that the ports team do, but we see it in smaller quantities on the High Street. But the team are dedicated to removing them."
"I think part of the problem is, you know there isn't just one vape out there and you get changes within the product specs changing the products and how they look. So in an ever changing marketplace it's sometimes can be quite difficult for small retailers to keep on top of everything."
From the 1st June 2025, it became illegal for businesses to sell or supply single-use vapes, also known as disposable vapes.
A vape is single-use if it has either a battery you cannot charge or is non refillable.
Trading standards Kent are asking people to report any concerns and underage sales via their website.%20(England)%20Regulations%202024.){:target=_blank}
Jim added:
"We try and bring businesses back into compliance and we do get complaints from members of the public and from other traders because it's really hard for a genuine retailer if they're doing it right and somebody down the road is doing it wrong, that's damaging to their business. So by the action that we take, we're supporting legitimate business."