Stamp out illegal operations with collaborative work
What’s your name and your role?
I’m James Hall, anti-illicit trade manager at Imperial Brands UK and Ireland.
What impact will the disposable vape ban have when it comes to the illicit trade?
Disposable vapes are now illegal to buy but some bad actors will have a supply for consumers and, unless they are already aware of the ban, how will a consumer know the product is illegal just from looking at it?
Looking at previous bans and legislation, like with the ban on menthols or ten packs of cigarettes, questions are still asked by shoppers to this day even though they have been in place for years.
Traders will still see consumers asking where disposables are two or three weeks down the line – so education is absolutely key here.
Do you believe the disposable ban will lead to an increase in illicit trade?
We have seen the vaping category evolve so much over the last few years, and it has evolved again.
Before 1 June, we knew that around 25% of the vaping market was made up of non-compliant devices and that comes from oversized or illegal products.
The market has now been reshaped dramatically and, whilst we do welcome the new legislation and how it looks to protect consumers and the environment, there are some serious concerns around the growing illicit trade.
How does the illegal trade directly impact on retailers or local areas?
I’ve seen firsthand the impact this can have on retailers. I knew a store owner in the area I used to work in who was surrounded by illicit traders and it decimated his business.
This puts a massive amount of pressure on these retailers who are running a genuine business to support themselves and their families, who then see their profitability go through the floor.
It brings down the local area around it as well – these bad actors attract trouble.
People will come from all around and it won’t always be about illegal tobacco or vapes, there will be other illegal activities going on.
And then, eventually, these legitimate shops have no choice but close down, this then brings in even more rogue traders to the area and it all then gets dragged down.
Lots of people rely on these local, legitimate stores and they can be benchmarks of the community where people will look out for one another and, if they’re not there, it can leave a high street decimated.
How can retailers deter customers from going to the illicit trade?
For me, it has to come down to one word and that is education.
Staff members need to be educated first so the consumer can also be educated.
If your team is aware of the ban or how to spot an illicit product, then they can talk to customers about this and educate them.
We’ve heard stories in parts of the UK where illicit sellers are telling consumers that only certain types of disposables are now illegal.
These bad actors are putting a counter-communication out there to confuse and poach shoppers with illegal products they are led to believe are compliant, so it’s very important to ensure consumers are educated.
What can a retailer do if they suspect a store is dealing illegal products?
If you know, or even just suspect it, you need to report it.
You can visit our website Suspect It? Report It! which will direct you to your local Trading Standards team, or you can report it via the website.
You can get in touch with CrimeStoppers or you can talk to your local Imperial Brands rep and they will report it through our internal channels and then we will put it through for you.
You can remain anonymous through all of this as well, so there is no risk to you.
There needs to be constant action on this. Even if it’s just a suspicion, all you need is the name of the store and where it is and action can be taken. Trading Standards won’t be able to go to a shop if they don’t know about it.
It’s incredibly important to take action and it’s also useful for us as well. If we know about these reports, then we can use this to advocate with policy makers and get more funding to tackle it.
Take action, and keep reporting these stores.
