Illegal vapes seized by trading standards officers
Barnet Council is to recycle illegal vapes with an estimated worth of more than £35,000 that have been seized from stores across the borough.
Trading standards officers will send more than 3,500 of the products for recycling because they have more nicotine-containing e-liquid than is legally permitted, making them potentially harmful – particularly to young people.
To ensure residents of the borough do not foot the bill for their destruction, the products will be collected using funding supplied by London Trading Standards and the Office of Product Safety and Standards.
Non-compliant vapes are the most commonly seized items by trading standards officers, followed by duty-evaded counterfeit cigarettes and tobacco, counterfeit clothing and mobile accessories, and skin-lightening products containing banned chemicals.
Those caught selling illegal products can be given a warning for their first offence and advised on how to comply with the law, with reoffenders facing prosecution.
The team has seized 5,151 illicit vapes during the past three months, with the 3,500 set for recycling coming from recently completed investigations.
Cllr Barry Rawlings, Leader of Barnet Council and Cabinet Member for Strategic Partnerships, Economy and Effective Council, said:
“We are determined to make Barnet a safe place for people to live and work in.
“Illegal vapes are a health risk, and I would like to thank our trading standards team for taking these unsafe products off the shelves.
“We will support local businesses that trade fairly but take swift action against those caught breaking the law.”
The trading standards team’s work helps to protect residents and ensure there is a level and legal playing field for all businesses operating within Barnet.
If you have concerns about how a business is operating within the borough, please contact: trading.standards@barnet.gov.uk
Alternatively, you can report matters of interest using the London Trading Standards website at: https://www.londontradingstandards.org.uk/report-consumer-crime/