The number of illegal vapes sold across South West Wales has decreased in 2024.

Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire have seen a significant reduction while Ceredigion has remained the same.

The sale of illegal vapes has dropped from 7500 to 1850 in Carmarthenshire, 633 to 0 in Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion has continued to not sell illegal vapes since 2022.

Meanwhile, in Welsh cities such as Cardiff and Swansea, illegal vape seizures have also plummeted.

Cardiff Council reported 2,536 sales, down from 6,987 whereas Swansea Council reported 170,843, down from 333,200.

The study was conducted by Totally Wicked – the company’s CEO and Chairman of the Independent British Vape Trade Association (IBVTA) said:

“Some distributors and retailers are either unaware or choose not to follow the rules. We welcome any crackdown on illegal and unsafe vaping products, as it helps protect consumers and ensures that only compliant products are available on the market.

“Retailers must source vapes from trusted, regulated distributors to guarantee they are selling safe products."

Each month, tens of thousands of illegal vapes are confiscated across the UK during police raids and trading standards operations.

These unregulated products pose significant health risks, often containing nicotine levels that don’t match their labelling or harmful chemicals absent in approved products.