Glasgow Emerges as Scotland's Top Illegal E-cigarette Consumer City

Market by 2FIRSTS.ai
Apr.26.2024
Glasgow Emerges as Scotland's Top Illegal E-cigarette Consumer City
Glasgow emerges as Scotland's top destination for illegal e-cigarettes, with over 16,000 seized in the past four years.

According to a report by Glasgowlive on April 26th, Glasgow has become the primary location for illegal e-cigarette consumption in Scotland over the past four years, with over 16,000 products being seized.

 

According to data obtained through a Freedom of Information request, the trading standards department has confiscated 16,254 illegal e-cigarettes since 2020, which is more than four times the amount in nearby Edinburgh, where there were 4,689 confiscations. During this period, over 40,000 prohibited smoking alternatives were sold in Scotland, with one sale occurring every 12 minutes.

 

The report highlights that since 2020, local governments across Scotland have lost a staggering £1.2 million in fine income. In the past 12 months alone, Glasgow City Council has lost £97,500 in fine revenue.

 

Experts are hoping that the local government will be granted greater enforcement powers, while imposing stricter restrictions on illegal e-cigarette transactions, as fines or fixed penalties are often difficult to enforce through lengthy court proceedings.

 

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