The UK’s ban on disposable vapes, implemented last summer by the Labour government to protect public health and the environment, has had a significant unintended consequence: the creation of a booming black market run by organized crime gangs. Far from disappearing, illegal single-use vapes are now reportedly pouring into the country, sold through a hidden economy that one expert describes as looking “alarmingly like early-stage drug trafficking.”
Read moreTag Archive for: Black Market
The illegal market for electronic cigarettes, or vapes, generates nearly R$5.8 million per day (R$2.12 billion annually) in the state of São Paulo alone, according to a new study by the University of São Paulo’s School of Multidimensional Security (ESEM-USP). Despite a nationwide ban on their sale and import by Brazil’s health agency, Anvisa, since 2009, the products are widely available and their use is expanding.
Read moreThe Australian Border Force (ABF) has reported unprecedented success in its fight against illicit tobacco and vaping products, seizing a staggering 586 million cigarettes and over 3 million vapes at the international border in just the first quarter of the financial year (July 1 – September 30). This represents a sharp upward trajectory in seizure volumes compared to the same period in the last two years, demonstrating the growing scale of both the illicit trade and the ABF’s enhanced enforcement capabilities.
Read moreA staggering 93.6% of the e-cigarette market in Ukraine consists of illegal products, with the segment of disposable devices and cigarettes with reusable cartridges being almost entirely non-compliant, a new study by Kantar Ukraine has revealed. The research, commissioned by major tobacco manufacturers, highlights a critical lack of control and a thriving shadow economy for vaping products in the country.
Read moreMalaysia’s plan to raise cigarette excise taxes to discourage smoking and boost revenue could backfire, warn policy experts. Without a significant crackdown on the existing black market and smarter regulation of alternatives like vapes, such a move risks fueling illicit trade and reducing overall tax collection.
Read moreTobacco Excise Jumps Nearly 7% as Experts and Politicians Question Price-Led Strategy
Cigarette prices in Australia, already among the highest in the world, are set to jump by nearly 7% on Monday due to a scheduled rise in the tobacco excise. This increase comes amid escalating criticism that the government’s price-led anti-smoking policy is fueling an explosive black market, which has been linked to a surge in violent crime, including robberies and arson attacks.
Read moreSix months after France implemented a ban on disposable e-cigarettes, these popular “puffs” remain widely accessible through non-compliant grocery stores, vape shops, and a thriving online black market. Despite the law, which took effect on February 25th, many retailers continue to sell the banned products, often openly, while new devices designed to circumvent the regulation are already taking their place.
Read moreNew excise tax regulations that took effect in Poland on August 1st have introduced what experts are calling an absurd “double taxation” on vaping products, a move they warn is already fueling a significant expansion of the illicit market. The legislation extends excise duty not only to e-liquids but also to reusable vaping devices and their replaceable cartridges – a policy unprecedented within the European Union.
Read moreAs New South Wales (NSW) prepares to implement some of the nation’s toughest laws against the illicit tobacco trade, a broader debate is intensifying over whether Australia’s high tobacco taxes are inadvertently fueling a dangerous black market. The illicit trade has been linked to gang violence, robberies, and arson attacks, prompting a significant legislative and enforcement response.
Read moreA ban on flavored e-cigarettes and vape liquids, which took effect on January 1, 2025 in Latvia, has reportedly led to unintended negative consequences, including a surge in the illicit market and a significant state budget deficit. The law, which prohibited all vape flavors except tobacco, was intended to protect public health and limit youth access to these products.
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