Enforcement against sales of Vapes and E-cigarettes

This comes after research by the NHS  for 2021 reported usage of e-cigarettes had risen to 9% among 11 to 15-year-olds in England - up from 6% in 2018.

And that vaping among 15-year-old girls had jumped from 10% to 21%.

There is concern that cheap, brightly-coloured vapes are attractive to young people, with them ending up in the hands of 12 and 13-year-olds. Experts are now seeking to discourage young people from taking up the habit.

Action on Smoking and Health has called for plainer packaging on vaping products to make them less attractive to children.

Further to support the new regulations trading standard departments are to set up new enforcement teams to carry out compliance checks and to enforce the legislation against shops or other locations which sell vapes or e-cigarettes to those under 18’s. Guidance will also be issued on how to ensure the laws are being complied with, as well as having the power to remove illegal products from sale.

Councils in England have also said vapes should be kept out of sight of children in shops and the legal minimum age of 18 should be marked clearly on each product.

In our experience when compliance checks take place in relation to one aspect of the operation of the premise the enforcement team will take the opportunity to look across the operation at all elements which may include sales of alcohol, along with sales of cigarettes, knives and solvents, therefore, good training of staff and records of training are vital.