Brighton, UK Seizes More Than 1,000 Illegal Vapes

A store in Brighton, England, has been found to be hiding a cache of illegal e-cigarettes and £2,500 worth of illegal cigarettes have been seized, sparking public concern over children’s nicotine addiction.

Brighton and Hove’s Business Standards Agency found the illegal devices in the store, noting that many of the e-cigarettes were fitted with “extra-large” cartridges containing nearly six times the legal nicotine limit.

The legal e-cigarettes have 2ml tanks containing 2% nicotine, which is equivalent to around 600 puffs. In contrast, most of the e-cigarettes seized by the Business Standards Agency had oils for between 3,500 and 9,000 puffs, ahead of a nicotine content equivalent to 280 cigarettes.

Councillor Tim Loggins, chairman of Brighton and Hove City Council’s Environment, South Mound and Marine Committee, said:

“I am very pleased with our business standards officer’s crackdown on illegal e-cigarettes and sales to minors.”

He adds:

“It is disappointing that some businesses in our city are willing to jeopardize the health of our citizens by selling illegal goods. The rapid rise in popularity of e-cigarettes among children and young people, which includes the use of cheaper illegal and unregulated e-cigarettes, is extremely worrying. It is also contributing to a generation of people who are addicted to nicotine and who may not have smoked in the first place.”

He also emphasized his great concern about the rise of disposable e-cigarettes. Aside from the health issues, such products are completely unsustainable from a waste disposal perspective.