EXCLUSIVE A black market for VAPES: Brits 'will turn to illegal options' to get a hit on single-use e-cigarettes when looming ban starts in a matter of weeks
Millions of Brits are prepared to turn to the black market for their nicotine hit after the new disposable vape ban comes into play.
Experts are worried the law from June 1 will people who vape to smoke potentially harmful substances from illegal sources - or push former smokers back to cigarettes.
Nearly two thirds of people who smoke disposable vapes are prepared to buy illicit vapes if they were readily available, according to a new survey.
And thanks to the rising taxes on vapes that are set to come in to place from October 2026, 30 per cent said they would preemptively turn to cigarettes.
'These findings highlight a very real unintended consequence,' said Andrej Kuttruf, CEO of Evapo, who commissioned the study.
'Whilst the intent behind the disposable vape ban and tax increases are understandable, the reality is that a significant number of consumers are signalling they may turn to unregulated, potentially unsafe products or even return to smoking.'
These figures come after it was revealed a staggering 82 per cent of people who vape - of which there are an estimated 5.6million in the UK - are stockpiling masses of vapes in preparation for the disposable ban.
Nearly 40 per cent said they will have enough stocked to last three months, while 28 percent said they were preparing for six months.
The Labour ban - first suggested by the Tory government last January - will come into place on June 1 after data revealed the horrifying extent of young children addicted to fruit-flavoured vapes.
MPs and campaigners have warned that a 'woefully inadequate' number of new recruits hired to enforce the disposable vapes ban will lead to a 'new era of criminal enterprise'.
In January, scientists found 'huge and often alarming levels of dangerous metals' like lead, copper and cadmium in ten unregulated vape products already on the market.
'Lead is harmful to everyone and every organ. It's a neurotoxin. It can cause anaemia and it can cause severe conditions such as heart disease and strokes,' Dr Ali Kermanizadeh, a senior lecturer in toxicology at the University of Derby, said.
He added that 'in some of the products, we found the nicotine content equivalent to smoking 200 traditional cigarettes'.
'The toxicity varies from product to product. We've found these products cause cell death, they cause huge amounts of inflammation, they can change normal cell function and they can also cause DNA damage, long-term they can result in the development of cancers.'
Three schoolchildren were rushed to hospital on Wednesday after puffing on a vape believed to have been laced with illegal drugs.
The teenagers became unwell at Unity City Academy in Middlesbrough and a 15-year-old girl has been arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply Class B drugs. She is currently in police custody for questioning.
The children, whose ages are unknown, were taken to James Cook University Hospital as a precaution.
Cleveland police issued a warning to children and parents about the dangers of using illegal vapes.
Detective Chief Inspector John Bonner, from Middlesbrough CID, said: 'Thankfully the children informed an adult as soon as they were found to have felt unwell with some of the children receiving treatment and are currently in a stable condition.
'We are working closely with the school, and our partners, to warn children and their parents on the dangers of using vapes, and I want to remind people that the legal age to use and purchase a vape is 18.
'Not only is this a health issue, but those possessing and supplying illegal drugs could be committing criminal offences.
'I would urge any children or parent who suspect they have been given, or bought an illegal vape, that they believe could be laced with drugs to not use it and to inform an adult and report it to us as soon as possible.'
Police have been frequently raiding shops for the illegal sale of vapes, with 10,000 seized in Coventry on Monday alone.
More than six million vapes have been seized over the last three years, according to BBC analysis.
And nearly 4,000 have been known to sell vapes to children.
People who sell illegal vapes will be subject to an immediate £200 fine from the beginning of next month, which could then rise to an unlimited fine or even a prison sentence of two years.
But illegal vapes are already a growing industry in the UK - the London Borough of Hillingdon topped the list for total seizures in 2024, with 484,954 vapes confiscated—an increase of 116 per cent compared to 2023.
Essex ranked second for total devices seized, with 333,600 confiscated—but was the fastest growing market, with a 14,000 per cent increase in illegal vapes seized.
Industry experts attributed this to Hillingdon's proximity to Heathrow airport, making it a key entry point for such devices.
Overall, the borough accounted for two in five of all vapes seized by authorities across the UK in 2024.
The latest NHS data shows that one in four children has tried vaping, while one in 10 uses vapes regularly. Among 16- to 17-year-olds, the rate rises to one in six.
Disposable vapes are by far the most commonly used form of the device, with as many as 70 per cent of children who vape using them.
Unlike refillable 'pen' or 'box' style vape devices, which retail from about £20, disposables can be purchased for as little as £3.
This, campaigners say, makes them particularly attractive to younger people.
One in six vapes confiscated from school children in England was found to be laced with 'zombie drug' Spice, a shocking study further found.
Testing hundreds of confiscated vaping devices from 38 schools revealed the alarming prevalence of the illegal synthetic street drug, which can cause heart attacks and strokes.
Professor Chris Pudney, an expert in biotechnology from the University of Bath, conducted tests using the world's first portable device that instantly detects synthetic drugs.
Working with concerned schools and police forces, he tested 596 confiscated vapes and discovered Spice at 28 out of 38 (74 per cent) of schools across London, the West Midlands, Greater Manchester and South Yorkshire.
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