A TEST purchasing operation in Workington resulted in three out of eight retailers selling e-cigarettes to underage teens.
Cumberland Council’s Trading Standards service and Cumbria Police carried out the operation, earlier this week, after receiving several complaints from concerned parents, schools, and members of the public.
There are strict laws on nicotine vaping products, and it is a criminal offence to sell them to persons under the age of 18 years or purchase them on their behalf. Traders found to be breaking these rules risk being prosecuted and fined up to £2,500.
Disposable e-cigarettes can be appealing to under-18s due to their flavours and bright colours.
E-cigarettes may contain nicotine which is highly addictive and young people who use these them may be encouraged to take up smoking in the future.
The latest data from the ASH-Youth 2022 survey of 11- to 18-year-olds in England show that:
- Current vaping prevalence (including occasional and regular vaping) was 8.6 per cent in 2022, compared with 4 per cent in 2021 and 4.8 per cent in 2020.
- The use of disposable vaping products has increased substantially, with 52.8 per cent of current vapers using them in 2022, compared with 7.8 per cent in 2021 and 5.3 per cent in 2020.
The Trading Standards team has also seen a steep increase in harmful, non-compliant, products on sale in shops and welcomes new government proposals to crack down on the sales of e-cigarettes to under 18s. These include preventing advertisers targeting children and not allowing retailers to give free samples of vapes to children. There will also be a review into banning sales of nicotine free vapes to under 18s and a review of the rules on issuing fines to retailers that illegally sell e-cigarettes to children.
Cllr Bob Kelly, Executive Member for Policy and Regulatory Services, said: “Our team works closely with traders to ensure compliance with the law and these undercover checks form a vital part of this process.
“All businesses should be asking for identification that proves a person is 18-years or older, such as a passport, driving license or proof of age card, before selling age-restricted products to young people.
“Additionally, businesses should be vigilant and challenge any adults who may be purchasing age-restricted products on behalf of an underage person.”
Investigations are continuing into the retailers that sold the products to underage teens.
Residents can call Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0808 223 1133 or email trading.standards@cumberland.gov.uk if they have any concerns regarding underage sales.