In some shops we visited in Yorkshire, the colourful packaging of single-use vapes was still very much visible on the shelves.
Shopkeepers in those premises seemed happy to offer them to customers, and many were even selling them at a reduced price.
One shopkeeper I spoke to told me he knew he was breaking the law by selling the single-use disposable vapes, but he added that he wanted to sell his remaining stock at a discount.
"It's banned," he said, pointing at the stack of vapes in his shop window.
"I'm not allowed to sell them. I'm finishing. I don't have a lot, so I'm just trying to [get rid of them]."
This was despite the ban on such vapes having been announced in October last year.
That gave stores more than seven months to get rid of the disposable vapes they still had in stockrooms and on the shelves before the ban came into force in June.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said before the ban that vape usage in England had grown by more than 400% between 2012 and 2023, with about 9% of people now buying and using the products.
Single-use disposable vapes helped get children hooked on nicotine and blighted high streets with waste, according to the government.
"It's why we've taken tough action and banned them," a Defra spokesperson said.
Flouting that ban, another shopkeeper asked me if I wanted a "good deal" and offered to sell me an armful of the illicit vapes for £20, showing me a pick-and-mix of fruity flavours in the store's glass cabinet.
However, as part of our investigation in cities across Yorkshire to find out where such vapes were still being sold, we also visited traders regulated by North Yorkshire Council's Trading Standards team.
Both shop workers approached by our undercover reporter there refused to sell the now-illegal items.
Councillor Greg White, North Yorkshire Council's executive member for environment, said it was "disappointing" to see shops in other parts of Yorkshire were still prepared to break the law.
"There's been plenty of time to prepare and to try to get people to move from disposable vapes to reusable ones, and that would have been good for their business," he explained.
A Defra spokesperson said: "Rogue traders will face serious penalties, up to and including criminal prosecution."
South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds
