NEWS
30 MAY 2025 ASIAN TRADER 9
ith upcoming legislation, be it the
disposable vapes ban or the
looming Tobacco and Vapes Bill,
independent convenience retailers fear that
honest businesses will be unfairly penalised by
the new laws while criminals will go unpun-
ished.
However, with proper planning, govern-
ment support and enforcement, retailers can
help make the transition to smoke-free UK
safely, smoothly and more efectively.
We are not just convenience stores
anymore; we are vital community hubs and
the backbone of the areas we serve.
In the case of the ban on disposable vapes
efective from June 1, I am well prepared.
The government announced it advance and
trading bodies have issued guidance. For
example, the Association of Convenience
Stores (ACS) has advised members to stop
ordering new disposable vapes, sell through
existing stock quickly, and separate any unsold
disposable stock after June 1 for recycling.
With all this in mind, we have already
started trimming back disposable vape lines
and stocking more compliant kits.
However, in my area, the illicit market is
very large and booming. Trading Standards
raids regularly uncover significant stock,
predominantly from pop-up stores and the
Lincoln Road area in Peterborough.
For example, a recent operation in March
2025 seized 683,400 cigarettes, 37.45kg of
hand-rolling tobacco, and 35 cigars – all of
which were found to be illegal.
They also found £14,886 in cash, as well as
large sums of foreign currency, and a substan-
tial amount of sildenafil tablets, commonly
known as Viagra, which is a prescription-only
drug. This is all easily accessible to young
people and these criminals profits fund other
serious crimes.
These findings mirror national data. In
2023–24 UK-wide Trading Standards seized
about 1.19 million illegal vapes (a 59 per cent
jump on the year before) and roughly 19
million illicit cigarettes (5.1 tonnes of
hand-rolling tobacco) in a single campaign.
What this clearly means is many consum-
ers can buy duty-free tobacco and dodgy vapes
from shady stores, thus harming legal shop
sales and public health, as these products often
have unknown contents.
With the disposable vape ban now on the
horizon, most experts expect the illicit market
to expand further.
The ACS warns that removing single-use
disposables from shops will “receive a boost”
in the black market. Public health groups
agree. Action on Smoking and Health has
warned that an outright ban on disposables
could “turbo-charge” the illicit vape trade.
Basically, any gap left by legal retailers will
likely be filled by criminals selling non-compli-
ant devices or bootleg tobacco.
Additionally, independent retailers also
worry that some ex-disposable vapers will turn
to illegal sellers or even return to cigarettes.
This means that, unless enforcement
tightens, local illicit trade will grow, making it
harder for law-abiding retailers as well as
undermining the public health intent of the
ban.
This concern was echoed recently in
Parliament as well.
Recently, I was invited to speak at Lord
Wharton of Yarm’s Parliamentary Reception
at the House of Commons, joining fellow
industry representatives to highlight key
concerns surrounding Illicit trade in the UK.
During the session, MPs voiced support for
the public health goals but also shared
concerns about implementation.
They are concerned that there is a huge rise
in youth vaping and the number is growing at
an alarming rate which will cause long term
addiction. Many Labour and government MPs
have backed the ban.
However, a minority of MPs have raised
practical objections, particularly in the
implementation of generational smoking ban,
pointing out that people that are born a day
apart will have permanently diferent rights.
MPs agreed on the aim of driving down
smoking rates and creating the UK’s first
smoke free generation, but they also acknowl-
edged and stressed the need for robust
enforcement and support for retailers to
manage the transition.
Well, the government has promised new
resources but many of us retailers feel it may
not be enough.
In March 2025 the Department of Health
announced an extra £10 million to Trading
Standards, funding about 80 new apprentice
enforcement ofcers to target illegal tobacco
and vapes in local communities.
This builds on an HMRC “illicit tobacco
strategy” with £100 million for Border Force,
and will be supplemented by a new vaping duty
(from 2026) that brings 200 additional
customs and compliance staf to seize illegal
vapes.
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill itself includes
stronger penalties and even a proposed retailer
licensing scheme, which is strongly welcomed
by me as I think it’s a way to shut out criminal
sellers.
However, I believe this will still leave a big
gap.
ACS research shows the current funding
works out to only about £30k–£50k per local
authority per year, with TS teams already
stretched this is barely enough to pay for one
extra Trading Standards ofcer in each area.
I am worried enforcement will remain
patchy. I can see the government has taken
steps to bolster enforcement, but speaking to
most retailers, they believe further funding
and coordination will be crucial if Trading
Standards are to keep illicit sales in check and
support compliant shops.
From a retailer’s point of view, the biggest
issue is ensuring that honest businesses aren’t
unfairly penalised by the new laws while
criminals go unpunished.
Independent stores take youth protection
seriously. We already require ID for tobacco
and vaping sales, participate in quit smoking
initiatives, and support local awareness
campaigns.
However, many of us feel we are being
blamed for a problem that has grown despite
our best eforts.
As one trade federation put it, we are often
the “soft target” for regulation while “crimi-
nals profit greatly from the illicit tobacco
trade”.
Basically, we are urging the government to
pair the ban with strong support – a clear,
phased implementation and an efective
licensing scheme for tobacco and vape outlets
(as the Bill proposes) so that only legitimate
sellers can operate.
With proper planning and enforcement,
retailers can help make the transition safely.
“We want to and need to
“We want to and need to
be part of the solution”
be part of the solution”
Neil Godhania, of Neil’s Premier and Dodds Road Store in
Peterborough, speaks out on tobacco and vape legislation
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