Vapers In The Dark

Data from a national study reveals that one in ten, or approximately 600,000, UK vapers report being ‘left in the dark’, and haven’t seen any news or government messaging about the upcoming ban. 

Industry experts warn the disposable vape ban risks a new generation of illegal and potentially dangerous vaping products entering the UK market, following inadequate enforcement of current regulations.

This data comes from a new survey of 2,000 vapers across the UK, obtained by Vape Club, in May 2025. The industry continues to call for the launch of the Vape Retailer and Distributor Licensing framework to effectively regulate the growing black market in the sector.

Similarly, nearly a quarter of current vapers say they would purchase non-compliant or illicit vaping products to cut down on costs. With legal disposable products no longer available, experts say that turning to illegal sources risks exposure to unsafe and unregulated items.

The findings reveal that a significant proportion of UK vapers have already purchased suspected illegal products from local convenience stores, local vape shops, market stalls, or street traders – highlighting how easily these products can be accessed through everyday retail outlets.

Dan Marchant, Director at Vape Club, says: “The new law, which comes into effect on June 1st, only makes it illegal to sell disposable vapes — it does not prohibit their use. This means that if you have purchased disposable vapes before the ban, you are free to continue using them until they run out. However, after June 1st, you will no longer be able to buy new ones.

“The UK already has a huge issue with illicit vape products and with the disposable vape ban coming into force, we risk a new wave of illegal and potentially dangerous vaping products flooding the black market. Enforcement of the regulations is severely lacking, with very little funding or resources being given to Trading Standards to effectively deal with the criminals breaking the law. And with the current penalty system being so insignificant the consequences for those who are caught are not acting as any kind of deterrent. 

“This is why we are strong supporters of a robust vape retail and distribution licensing scheme, where the funds generated are ring-fenced for authorities to carry out pro-active enforcement of the laws. This much needed revenue could enable Border Force to catch a much greater amount of illegal products from ever entering the country, and for Trading Standards to flush out retailers flouting the law and impose significant penalties.”

Vape Club is the UK’s largest online retailer of vape kits, vape liquids and vaping accessories. Formed in 2012, Vape Club became the one-stop shop for all of the best vaping products from around the world. Vape Club gathered the best juice brands, hardware, batteries and accessories from all corners of the globe and made it a simple, fast and pleasant experience for UK vapers to purchase them.

References:

• Vape Club - https://www.vapeclub.co.uk/

Photo Credit:

• Photo by Vlad ION on Unsplash, resized and cropped

Dave Cross

Journalist at POTV

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Dave is a freelance writer; with articles on music, motorbikes, football, pop-science, vaping and tobacco harm reduction in Sounds, Melody Maker, UBG, AWoL, Bike, When Saturday Comes, Vape News Magazine, and syndicated across the Johnston Press group. He was published in an anthology of “Greatest Football Writing”, but still believes this was a mistake. Dave contributes sketches to comedy shows and used to co-host a radio sketch show. He’s worked with numerous start-ups to develop content for their websites.