The UK’s leading vape retailer, VPZ, has launched a bold awareness campaign in Westminster today, warning MPs about the rise of illicit super-sized disposable vapes and their impact on young people.
A specially designed trailer is touring key locations in the capital, including Whitehall, London Bridge, Millbank, and Parliament Square, between 10am and 1pm. The campaign aims to highlight concerns over ‘Big Puff’ vapes ahead of the government’s Tobacco and Vapes Bill.
A gathering is also taking place alongside the trailer’s route, with supporters calling for urgent action to tackle the sale of high-capacity, disposable vaping devices that critics argue are exploiting loopholes in UK vaping laws.
Visualising the Scale of the Problem
The centrepiece of VPZ’s protest is a striking visual display – two large one-tonne containers, one filled with 3,500 legal 2ml vapes, and the other packed with 9,000 illicit, super-sized disposable vapes. The display is designed to illustrate the growing challenge posed by unregulated devices that exceed the UK’s current legal limit of 2ml of liquid per disposable vape.
The so-called ‘Big Puff’ vapes get around existing restrictions by using external plug-in tanks of up to 10ml, effectively creating a 12ml device—six times the legal limit. Some devices being approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) reportedly have even greater capacity.
Despite being marketed as rechargeable, the products are made with low-quality batteries and fixed coils, making them effectively single-use and exacerbating concerns about environmental waste.
Call for Immediate Action
VPZ’s director, Greig Fowler, has urged MPs to take swift action before the UK faces a dual crisis—both in youth vaping and environmental damage.
“We hope this campaign will serve as a wake-up call to policymakers and the public,” he said. “It’s crucial that MPs act now to address the dangers of these super-sized disposables before the UK finds itself in the midst of another youth and environmental crisis.”
Fowler warned that while the government’s upcoming disposable vape ban in June is a step in the right direction, illicit products threaten to undermine its effectiveness. He highlighted an amendment tabled by MP Dr Caroline Johnson (NC9) to close legal loopholes, but stressed that action was needed now rather than in 12 to 18 months when the Bill is expected to be passed.
“If we fail to respond decisively now, we risk further harm to young people, an environmental disaster, and undermining vaping’s role as a smoking cessation tool, which has helped millions to quit smoking,” he added.
Balancing Regulation and Smoking Cessation
VPZ supports many of the proposed measures in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, including restrictions on naming, packaging, and marketing to prevent youth access. However, it warns that excessive regulation could also harm adult smokers who rely on vaping to quit.
The company has previously cautioned that the bill could limit flavours popular with former smokers, potentially affecting three million vapers and ex-smokers.
VPZ, which operates over 185 stores across the UK, says it has helped more than one million people quit smoking since its launch in 2012. It is now calling for a balanced approach that protects young people while ensuring adult smokers still have access to regulated, safer alternatives.