RESEARCH ALERT
Some vapes use added chemicals to create a cold or icy feeling. New research has raised concerns about three of them: WS-23, WS-3 and WS-5. We do not yet know how common they are in Wales.
No Ifs. No Butts. Report 2022–2025
Three years of community reports and enforcement intelligence across Wales
Community reporting and enforcement intelligence across Wales
Launched in March 2022, the No Ifs. No Butts. reporting portal gives communities a route to share concerns about illegal tobacco, illegal vapes and underage sales.
Between 2022 and 2025, 1,452 reports were submitted across the UK, providing intelligence that enforcement teams can use alongside other information.
Trading Standards partners have reported examples where portal intelligence contributed to enforcement activity, including raids, seizures and shop closures. A report itself is not proof of an offence and does not guarantee enforcement action.
1,452 reports logged across the UK
The No Ifs. No Butts. reporting system is now a key route for sharing concerns about illegal tobacco, illegal vapes and underage sales in Wales. Since 2022, 882 reports have been submitted from Wales.
In 2025 alone, 271 reports were submitted from Wales, the highest number received in any year during the 2022–2025 reporting period.
This shows increased reporting through the portal. It does not show that illegal activity, the number of sellers or the size of the illegal market increased by the same amount.
Total Number Reports UK / Wales
2022: 195
195
2023: 353
353
2024: 337
337
2025: 558
558
Illegal vapes now feature in nearly two-thirds of Welsh reports
In 2022, illegal vapes appeared in a smaller share of submitted reports than tobacco. By 2024, the categories were much closer. In 2025, illegal vapes were mentioned in 65% of Welsh reports, while illegal tobacco was mentioned in 64%.
Report categories can overlap, and these percentages describe what was reported to the portal. They are not estimates of how common illegal vapes or tobacco are in the wider market.
Total Number Reports Vapes, Illegal Tobacco and Cannabis UK
2022: 53
53
2023: 119
119
2024: 146
146
2025: 177
177
Safeguarding drives around one-third of all reports
Safeguarding concerns are a major theme in community reporting. Around one-third of reports raised concerns about underage sales, children or youth access, combining free-text comments and the dedicated underage-sales option.
In 2025, 51.7% of Welsh reports flagged underage sales. That figure describes the content of reports submitted to the portal; it is not a population prevalence estimate or a confirmed-offence rate.
Free-Text Mentions (%) of 1,452 Reports
Schools or children
24%
Price signals
11%
Concealment tactics
14%
Enforcement
4%
Where reports are coming from in Wales?
Reports were received from across Wales, with higher numbers in some local authority areas. Newport recorded 181 reports (22.7%) and Cardiff 148 reports (18.6%); Wrexham, Flintshire and Denbighshire together accounted for over 20% of Welsh reports, while the South Wales Valleys accounted for another 15%.
These figures describe where reports came from. They can be influenced by population size, awareness of the portal, local campaigns and repeated reporting, so they should not be treated as a league table of illegal-market prevalence.
Total Reports By Local Authorities in Wales
Newport
23%
Cardiff
19%
Wrexham
9%
Flintshire
8%
Swansea
6%
Denbighshire
6%
RCT
5%
Gwynedd
4%
Caerphilly
4%
Bridgend
3%
Get Involved
We’ve created a set of downloadable graphics to make it easy for schools, community groups, councils and organisations across Wales to share the message: report illegal tobacco and vapes through No Ifs. No Butts.
These graphics include clear calls to action in English and Welsh, showing exactly how to report and why it matters.
Together we can make sure more people across Wales know where to turn if they see illegal sales happening in their communities.
Future Direction
- Support enforcement and compliance with the Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026 by providing rapid public reporting of breaches and actionable intelligence for Trading Standards.
- Enhance intelligence-sharing across agencies, enabling faster responses and stronger coordination. Support targeted activity in hotspot communities, where illegal sales and youth access are most prevalent.
- Strengthen Wales’ ability to respond rapidly to emerging illicit products and changing tactics in the market. Track emerging products (including nicotine pouches, currently legal for under‑18s) in real time through new reporting fields.
