Tag: e-cigarettes

UK Ban on Disposable Vapes Starts in June 2025

On By michaelvaporsIn Vape Community, Vaping Industry

From: https://vaporvoice.net/2024/10/24/2025-uk-ban-on-disposable-vapes-starts-in-june/

YAY! ….The sale of disposable vapes will be banned in England and Wales beginning in June of next year, the government has confirmed.

Ministers in England said the move, first announced in January by the previous government but not enacted before the general election, is intended to protect children’s health and prevent environmental damage.

The government said it had worked closely with the devolved nations and that they would “align coming into force dates” on bans. According to media reports, Wales has already confirmed it will follow suit.

Vaping industry leaders have warned the move could fuel a rise in illegal sales of the products.

The Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (Defra) said vape usage in England had grown by more than 400 percent between 2012 and 2023, with 9 percent of the British public now buying and using the products.

It is illegal to sell any vape to anyone under 18, but disposable vapes – often sold in smaller, more colorful packaging than refillable ones – are a “key driver behind the alarming rise in youth vaping”, the previous government said when it first set out its plan.

Public health minister Andrew Gwynne said banning disposables would “reduce the appeal of vapes to children and keep them out of the hands of vulnerable young people”.

2025: UK Ban on Disposable Vapes Starts in June

Disposable E-Waste: Joint Operation Nets $76 Million in Illicit Vapes

On By michaelvaporsIn Vaping Industry

From this article by Vapor Voice: Joint Operation Nets $76 Million in Illicit Vapes

“The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, in collaboration with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), announced the administrative seizure of approximately three million units of illegal vaping products.

The products have an estimated retail value of $76 million. The seizures were part of a July joint operation to examine incoming shipments and prevent illegal e-cigarettes from entering the country. 

“The FDA is on high alert and, in coordination with our federal partners, remains committed to stopping unauthorized e-cigarettes at our nation’s borders,” said FDA Commissioner Robert Califf. “These products too often end up in kids’ hands, and the newly formed federal task force is well positioned to collectively combat this unscrupulous activity.”

In June, the FDA and the Department of Justice announced a joint federal task force to curb the distribution and sale of illegal e-cigarettes. Operations like these are an example of ongoing law enforcement work across federal agencies, which are now increasing in frequency with the creation of the task force. 

“CBP’s trade enforcement mission places a significant emphasis on intercepting illicit products that could harm American consumers,” said Troy A. Miller, Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Commissioner for CBP. “We will continue to work with our enforcement partners to identify and seize unsafe and unlawful goods.” 

In preparation for the operation, the joint team worked for several months to review shipping invoices, identify potentially violative incoming shipments, and complete other investigative work that led to this successful operation, according to a press release. 

Upon examining shipments, all of which originated in China, the team found various brands of illegal e-cigarettes, including Geek Bar and others. In an attempt to evade duties and detection, most of these unauthorized e-cigarettes were intentionally mis-declared as items with no connection to vaping products and with incorrect values. 

Products that are seized and forfeited to the government will be disposed of in accordance with CBP authorities. 

“This isn’t the first joint seizure operation, and it won’t be the last – we will continue to relentlessly pursue those attempting to smuggle illegal e-cigarettes,” said Brian King, director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products. “The $76 million these bad actors just put in the dumpster should be a sobering reminder that their time and money would be better spent complying with the law.”