More than 10,000 illict vapes and cigarettes seized by trading standards in Peterborough

More than 10,000 illicit vapes and cigarettes were seized by trading standards in Peterborough this year.

According to a Peterborough City Council (PCC) quarterly report (October–December), 2,401 vapes were taken away from shops, as well as 9,807 packs of cigarettes.

Over 12.5kg of hand rolling tobacco was also seized, it says.

While these products are legal in England, they must meet certain requirements for sale: vapes, for instance, can’t contain more than two per cent nicotine and or certain ingredients such as the flavouring agent diactyl which has been associated with negative health effects.

The government is also considering banning disposal vapes altogether on health and environmental grounds but no such rule has yet come into force.

PCC has information on its website about spotting and reporting illegal tobacco, which may either be fake or smuggled into the UK.

Tell-tale signs include non-standard packaging, an unusual taste and below market rate prices, it says, while health information may not be in English or printed on a white background.

According to the Office of National Statistics (ONS), around 14 per cent of adults in Peterborough are smokers, a similar proportion to Cambridge.

But adults in Fenland are far more likely to smoke: with nearly 28 per cent of its population smoking, it has the highest rate in England.

Rates of vaping have risen significantly in recent years, particularly among young people.

Their health effects relative to smoking are not yet fully understood.