Reports of illegal vape selling rises tenfold in Wales
Single-use vapes have been largely replaced by rechargeable devices sold at similar prices and often discarded in the same way as disposables
ASH Wales is warning public concern about illegal tobacco and vaping products is rising, with reports to No Ifs. No Butts., Wales' national reporting portal, increasing tenfold in the year since the ban on disposable vapes came into force on 1 June 2025.
New data from No Ifs. No Butts. shows community reports increased from 15 in May 2025, immediately before the ban, to 150 in May 2026 - equivalent to almost one report every five hours.
The market has evolved rapidly with single-use vapes being largely replaced by rechargeable devices sold at similar prices and often discarded in the same way as disposables.
Research by Material Focus did show a 23% reduction in the number of vapes and pods being thrown away, however, with more than 6 million vapes and pods still being discarded every week, the overall impact has been limited.
"People are concerned about what is happening in their communities and want action"
Suzanne Cass, Chief Executive of ASH Wales, said: "The increase in reports tells us that people are concerned about what is happening in their communities and want action.
"Last year we were receiving around one report every two days. This year we are receiving around one report every five hours. That is a significant increase and reflects both growing awareness of the reporting system and growing concern about illegal tobacco and vaping products."
The latest figures from Wales reporting portal also shows the impact on children and young people is a major concern, with more than one in three reports (34%) raising concerns about underage sales or children being linked to illegal tobacco or vape sales.
The No Ifs. No Butts. data also points to a shift in the landscape with reports relating to online sellers have already reached 44 in 2026, compared with just 16 during the whole of 2025.
Alongside the reporting data, ASH Wales recently surveyed 80 enforcement officers, youth workers, police officers, public health professionals and community safety practitioners from across Wales to understand what they are seeing on the ground.
Almost two-thirds (65%) of respondents reported the situation relating to illegal tobacco and vaping products had worsened over the last 12 months.
As Wales prepares for implementation of the Tobacco and Vapes Act, ASH Wales says the legislation presents an important opportunity to strengthen regulation of tobacco and vaping products.
Many respondents to the survey expressed concerns about whether services have sufficient capacity to respond to the additional responsibilities that will come with the Act, with additional resources and enforcement capacity emerging as key priorities.
Suzanne Cass added:
"The Tobacco and Vapes Act will provide new powers to regulate tobacco and vaping products, including how they are promoted, presented and sold, but a law is only as good as the enforcement and communication behind it.
"As we move towards implementation of the Act, we need to ensure that Wales' enforcement services and public awareness campaigns are sufficiently resourced to meet the challenge.
"Communities are telling us there is a problem. We need to make it easy for people to report concerns, ensure that intelligence reaches enforcement agencies quickly, and give those agencies the resources they need to act."
ASH Wales is calling for sustained investment to support community reporting, prevention and enforcement activity.