The Dangers Of Buying Illegal Vapes

Illegal vapes are one of the biggest issues regarding tobacco-related products on the black market. Not only do these vapes pose a great danger to anyone who uses them; they are falling into the hands of underage vapers who do not know any better. These illegal products are also placing a huge strain on the legal vaping industry, as they are causing many countries to ban all vaping products to try and curb the sale of illegal products.

How Have Illegal Vapes Reached The Market?

There are currently no specific laws or regulations targeted towards the vaping market in South Africa, although there are some laws planned for the future. These planned vaping laws will address who may vape and where, as well as the packaging and restrictions of vaping products, which will likely clear up confusion on the legal vape market. 

It is this uncertainty about vaping products and their legality that has paved the way for the black market to incorporate vaping products as well. This became especially apparent during the COVID-19 lockdown, which made users search for whatever means to satisfy their nicotine cravings.

Unfortunately, vaping products are still not excluded from the black market. Underage vapers usually head to unreliable places to purchase products, as they will not need to verify their age. This is also where many users start the habit of buying extremely cheap vaping products that can be detrimental to their health. This places all users at risk of buying illegal vaping products from non-reputable sources.

Can The Sale Of Illegal Vaping Products Be Curbed?

Once a product hits the black market, it is nearly impossible to get rid of it. This is mostly due to easy accessibility and cheaper pricing. Many users and retailers are also worried that new laws and regulations may encourage the use of black market products instead of ensuring safe vaping.

Unfortunately, the lack of vaping laws and regulations make it nearly impossible to stop retailers from selling illegal vaping products. It seems that curbing the sale and use of illegal vaping products will rely upon users buying reputable vaping products and spreading the word.

What Is The Issue With Buying Illegal Vaping Products?

Disposable vapes have become one of the easiest products to fake nowadays, although every type of vaping product is also at risk of being counterfeit. This is due to how easy it is to create illegal disposable vapes and get away with it. Most of these products can appear to be genuine and seem to be much cheaper than usual, luring you into a risky purchase. 

Every single case of vape hospitalisations have been due to the use of counterfeit vaping products. This is how severe the problem has become.

There are certain regulations regarding vaping products, such as safe testing, displaying and using only legal ingredients, and specifying nicotine strengths. As you can expect, fake vaping products do not comply with any of these regulations. They often contain banned ingredients, harmful additives, and extremely dangerous concentrations of nicotine.

Counterfeit vapes also have the tendency to leak or spit e-liquid. Due to the often illegal ingredients used in these vapes, this liquid tends to cause severe burns, especially due to the high nicotine content. When ingesting these counterfeit liquids, users can become poisoned and may need hospitalisation.

Here are some of the general issues you may encounter with fake vaping products:

• Swollen, tender, and red gums
• Mouth sores
• Abdominal cramps
• Bad breath
• Wheezing, periods of unexplained and rapid bleeding, shortness of breath
• Bad persistent cough
• Headaches
• Nausea and/or vomiting
• Dizziness or fainting

These symptoms on their own may not be linked to vaping, so if you are experiencing any of these symptoms (especially multiple of these symptoms at once), it is safe to hold off on using your vaping products until you can verify their authenticity or locate the source of your symptoms.

Top Tips To Make Sure That Your Vaping Products Are Legal

Here are some general guidelines for those who want to ensure that the products they are buying are legit:

• Genuine vaping products have the same health warning: “This product contains nicotine which is a highly addictive substance”. This warning generally covers about 30% of the front and back side of the packaging

• Nicotine e-liquids should not contain any ingredients or additives like taurine or caffeine – common ingredients used to mimic flavours in illegal and unrelated vaping products

• Retailers should be sure that they do not sell products to customers who are under the age of 18 as this is illegal

• Authentic products should have a serial number on the packaging. Most manufacturers have means to verify your product through online checks, so if you are ever in doubt, be sure to check with the brand if it is indeed a reputable device or product 

• Purchase your products from a reputable source such as Vaperite – we meet all the necessary requirements to ensure a safe and pleasurable vaping experience. This is the best way to be certain that your vaping products are safe for use

• If the cost seems too good to be true, it probably is. Users often get tricked into buying counterfeit products with staggeringly cheap prices. Sales and promotions happen, but be sure to check the average prices of specific brands to ensure that your product is reliable

Other things you can check include:

• Inconsistent fonts and colouring of text
• Strange label colourings
• A lack of anti-tamper seals
• Minimal information given
• Off liquid colouring

All in all, you should be on the lookout for illegal vaping products before purchasing any goods. Be sure to look out for the telltale signs that show whether or not your product is in fact safe for vaping before you spend any money on it. Educate yourself on what the custom is for legal vaping products so that you can detect when a product seems off. 

The best advice to follow is to find a reputable source to purchase your vaping products from. This is the easiest way to make sure that you are buying safe and reliable vaping products. Be sure to check out Vaperite for the latest devices, e-liquids, and information on vaping in general. We only encourage safe vaping for the best user experience possible.