The vape ban means nothing without real enforcement

3 June 2025, 09:46

By George Icke

The disposable vape ban has not stopped shops from hawking illegal devices, finds LBC's George Icke.

I wish I could say I was shocked by what I found. But I wasn’t.

Less than 24 hours after the government’s nationwide ban on disposable vapes came into effect, I walked into five Nottingham shops and walked out of every one with an illegal vape in my pocket. No ID checks, no hesitation. Just business as usual.

I didn’t need to go looking down dark alleyways or into the backrooms of dodgy stores. These were high street convenience shops and even a specialist vape retailer—selling illegal products over the counter like nothing had changed. One device I was sold was already illegal even before the new law took effect. It contained 4,000 puffs—far beyond the legal nicotine limit—and still, there it was. On sale. In plain sight.

It’s obvious that this ban, however well-intentioned, is toothless without proper enforcement. That’s the crux of the issue. Trading standards teams are chronically underfunded and overstretched. Until they are given the resources and manpower to enforce the law properly, these rules will continue to be flouted.

And when enforcement fails, black markets thrive.

What worries me most is where this is headed. As the legal supply of disposable vapes dries up—or appears to—the trade won’t vanish. It’ll just move underground. That’s when it gets really dangerous: counterfeit devices with unregulated ingredients, wildly excessive nicotine levels, and packaging designed to deceive both consumers and authorities. It’s no longer just a youth vaping problem or an environmental issue, it becomes a serious public health threat.

Let’s be clear: the environmental damage from disposables is real. Lithium batteries, non-recyclable plastic, and the sheer volume of waste are already overwhelming bins and blighting our parks. And yes, these products are blatantly marketed to kids—bright colours, sweet flavours, flashing lights. They are designed to look like toys and taste like sweets. But none of that will stop unless the ban is backed by real boots on the ground.

In every shop I visited, not one staff member asked me for ID. I’m 24—but I look younger. I should’ve been stopped under the “Challenge 25” rule. That didn’t happen. So it’s not just illegal sales we’re dealing with here—it’s underage sales too, happening in the open.

The government may have drawn the line in legislation, but without proper funding for enforcement, it’s a line in the sand. One strong gust of profit-driven disregard, and it disappears.

If we’re serious about protecting young people and cleaning up our streets, we need more than headlines. We need action. Otherwise, we’re not banning disposable vapes—we’re just pushing them further out of sight, and deeper into danger.

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