The UK Government’s latest announcement promises a tougher stance on illicit tobacco and illegal vape sales. £10 million will be pumped into Trading Standards. 80 new apprentice enforcement officers will be hired. And rogue retailers could be slapped with on-the-spot fines for breaking the law.
At Riot Activist, we welcome the intent. We’ve been shouting for tougher enforcement and smarter regulation for years. But this announcement? It’s more smoke than fire.
Because while the government talks tough, this plan still dodges the real issues at the heart of the problem – a lack of proper deterrents, weak penalties, and not enough boots on the ground.
Let’s break it down.
What’s Actually Being Announced?
This is all part of the wider Tobacco and Vapes Bill – a major piece of legislation aiming to create a ‘smoke-free generation’ by making it illegal to sell tobacco to anyone born after 1 January 2009. Alongside this, the government is also going after the growing black market of illicit vapes and illegal tobacco.
Key parts of the announcement include:
- £10 million in new funding for Trading Standards
- 80 apprentice enforcement officers to be recruited
- Closer partnerships with police to target organised crime
- £200 on-the-spot fines for retailers who break age-of-sale laws
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A potential licensing scheme for retailers
Sounds like a crackdown, right?
But when you scratch beneath the surface, there’s not nearly enough bite behind the bark.
What They’re Getting Right
Let’s give credit where it’s due: some of this is a step in the right direction.
✅ Targeting the black market – Good. Dodgy, unregulated vapes with no quality control are harming customers and fuelling the wrong narrative about vaping.
✅ Protecting young people – Absolutely. No one in the vape industry with an ounce of ethics wants kids using these products. Enforcement matters.
✅ Environmental awareness – The link between illicit vapes and disposable waste can’t be ignored. We need reform, and we need responsibility.
But the real question is – is this actually going to work?
Not like this.
What’s Still Missing – And What Needs to Change
1. £200 Fines? Laughable. We Need Real Penalties.
A £200 fine for selling to kids or flogging illegal vapes? That’s not a deterrent – that’s pocket change. Rogue retailers will factor it into the cost of doing business and carry on.
We’re not here to tweak the rules. We’re here to tear down the broken system and build one that works.
Riot Activist supports a national licensing scheme – and we’ve been calling for one since day one. But licensing without real punishment is a joke.
Under this framework:
- Rogue retailers could face fines of up to £10,000
- Distributors flouting the law could be fined up to £100,00
- Repeat offenders would be barred from selling vapes entirely
And here’s the kicker: the scheme would generate over £50 million a year in additional funding for Trading Standards – giving them the resources they desperately need to enforce the law properly.
That’s real reform. Not posturing. Not platitudes. Just practical, hard-hitting solutions that make a difference.
2. 80 Apprentice Officers for a National Crisis? Get Serious.
Let’s do the maths.
This is a UK-wide problem. Illicit vapes are flooding into cities, towns, and villages – and 80 trainee officers are meant to tackle all of it? That’s not enforcement – that’s a PR stunt.
We don’t need symbolic foot soldiers. We need a national taskforce with real teeth, backed by funding, tech, and a zero-tolerance attitude. We need:
- Experienced investigators embedded in regions with high illegal trade
- Fast-track prosecutions for organised networks and repeat offenders
- Visible community enforcement that builds trust with the public
- Transparent reporting – tell the public what’s being seized and where
You wouldn’t send in cadets to fight a war. So why send apprentices to shut down an industry that’s fuelling criminal networks, harming young people, and wrecking public trust?
The Bigger Picture: What’s At Stake
This crackdown lands at a critical time for vaping and public health.
Youth vaping is rising – and yes, that’s a real problem. But so is the rising wave of misinformation, the blurring of lines between legal and illegal products, and the total lack of consistency in how rules are applied.
The risk? That responsible retailers, brands, and vape shops – the same ones helping people quit smoking for good – get caught in the crossfire.
We’ve already seen the impact of poorly thought-out bans, like those targeting flavours or disposables without offering regulated alternatives. It pushes people back to smoking. It drives up black market sales. It wrecks trust.
If the government wants a smoke-free generation, it needs to bring the right players to the table: the enforcers, the health experts, and the people on the frontlines of smoking cessation – not just headlines and hollow gestures.
Our Activist Call to Action
We’ve never been a brand that waits around for the system to fix itself.
Riot Activist exists to challenge, disrupt, and demand better – not just from the industry, but from the Government too.
So here’s our blueprint for real impact:
🔥 Make the Licensing Scheme Mandatory – and Meaningful
Every vape and tobacco retailer in the UK should be licensed, regulated, and held to account. Under the proposed framework, rulebreakers would face fines up to £10,000, repeat offenders would lose their ability to sell, and dodgy distributors could be hit with £100,000 penalties. It’s tough, it’s fair, and it could generate £50 million+ annually to fund enforcement.
🔥 Put Enforcement Front and Centre
80 officers isn’t enough. We need real resourcing, real authority, and full-scale disruption of the black market.
🔥 Ringfence the Funds
Every pound from licensing should go back into enforcement, youth prevention, education, and support for responsible retailers.
🔥 Champion the Role of Regulated Vaping in Smoking Cessation
Don’t forget the bigger mission: vaping, when done right, is one of the most effective tools we’ve got to end smoking. Punishing the good players won’t stop the bad ones.
This isn’t just about vape shops and Trading Standards. This is about who gets to shape the future of public health.
If we want to end smoking, protect kids, and stop the black market from winning – we need enforcement that’s bold, brave, and backed by proper investment.
