Sculpture made from seized vape boxes on display

Created at Walsall College, the sculpture is made up of approximately 4,000 empty boxes from illicit vapes which were seized by the council

An art sculpture made of empty boxes from approximately 4,000 seized illicit vapes is on display to the public in an attempt to spotlight the potential harms of vaping.

The sculpture, which is a large-scale model of a pair of lungs and a heart, will be on display at Walsall Council House this summer.

The artwork was part of a collaborative project between Walsall College and Walsall Council's Trading Standards and Public Health teams.

Walsall Council said the aim was to raise awareness of the harm associated with vaping, especially to young people, and stressed the issues of vaping illicit products.

The 4,000 vape boxes which comprise the lungs had been seized by the council's Trading Standards and provided to the college to create the artwork last year.

The statue was officially unveiled at Walsall College in June 2024, and over the last six months has been on display in secondary schools across the Walsall borough to support ongoing health and wellbeing education.

Walsall Council House will now host the sculpture until September, and people can visit the artwork and also find out more about the smoking support on offer from services, including Be Well Walsall and the Quit with Bella app.

Councillor Gary Flint said: "We're delighted to host this powerful sculpture at the Walsall Council House.

"It serves as a reminder of the dangers posed by illicit vapes, which often contain unknown substances and exceed legal puff limits, making them harmful to people of all ages, including adults.

"The project is a great example of how art, education and public health can come together to protect our communities."

Councillor Adam Hicken added: "This sculpture is a striking visual reminder of the scale of the problem we're tackling.

"These products are not only harmful but often linked to wider criminal activity."