North Yorkshire Council trading standards officers discovered illegal vapes during an inspection of an off-licence in Skipton. The shop was subsequently fined over £6,000 for stocking these vapes.
During the inspection, officers found 160 vapes with a retail value of £1,600 on display. Shahram Sharifi, director of Lewiatan Ltd located on Sackville Street, pleaded guilty to the offence at York Magistrates’ Court on Friday. Sharifi and his business were ordered to pay a total of £6,725, which included fines, surcharges, and court costs.
Vapes are considered illegal if their tank capacity exceeds 2ml or if the nicotine volume is greater than 20mg. North Yorkshire Council stated that Sharifi had previously been issued a warning after similar products were seized from the shop in May 2022.
Karl Battersby, North Yorkshire Council’s Corporate Director for Environment, emphasized the strict regulations governing the amount of liquid in these devices to mitigate the risks associated with nicotine. He noted, “These devices contained more than three times the legal limit.”
Battersby also highlighted the absence of crucial information about the manufacturer and batch code on the seized vapes. “There is no traceability, which would allow all vapes of this type to be located and removed from the supply chain,” he added.
The case underscores the importance of compliance with vaping regulations to ensure consumer safety and the integrity of the supply chain.