Leicester's Illegal Vapes & Drugs: A Growing Concern

0:00Lest the shops are flooded with illegal vapes and drugs, and officials say the scale is extremely worrying, with the problem only growing bigger. City Council's trading standards team sees nearly 1 million pounds worth of these products, from 2023 to 2025. That haul includes oversized disposable vapes and ones packed with too much nicotine plus some controlled drugs. Investigations jump from just six cases in 2023 to 32 in 2025, showing their cracking down harder. But here's the twist. The value of seized goods actually dropped from over 523,000 pounds in 2023 to about 1,197,000 in 2025. And that last figure doesn't even count help given to other agencies, so the real total removed from shelves is likely higher. Officials are sounding the alarm, calling it a serious issue for the city that needs tough action. At a recent public health meeting, they talk to plans for stronger licensing rules and more street-level spot checks with extra resources.

1:03They're staying vigilant as numbers dip but threat spread, pushing for smarter teamwork to keep these dangers off the streets. This has been Lester News today, powered by AI.