Retailers in Workington, Flimby, Maryport and Carlisle, have all refused to sell e-cigarettes (vapes) to an underage test purchaser this week.
Sixteen businesses requested to see the underage volunteer’s identification, during an operation carried out by Cumberland Council’s trading standards team.
In a summer clamp down on underage vape sales, in August, results in these areas varied with 62 percent of sales refused in Workington, only 34 per cent of sales refused in Maryport, and 92 per cent refused in Carlisle and Wigton.
Councillor Bob Kelly, Executive Member for Licensing and Regulatory Services, said: “Our aim is to protect the whole community.
“This means protecting product users and purchasers from harm, guiding sellers or producers who may face criminal proceedings, and safeguarding members of the public who may incidentally be harmed by the behaviour of others.
“We’re delighted to see a significant improvement in the number of test sale purchases being refused.
“A 100 per cent test operation pass rate is the result we want from local retailers.
“Our trading standards team have worked incredibly hard to advise businesses of their obligations to make sure they’re checking for identification on age related purchases.
“I’d like to credit the team, and the retailers for ensuring employees have the appropriate training and understand the law and potential fines for breaking the rules.”
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 vapes can be appealing to under-18s due to their flavours and bright colours.
They may contain nicotine which is highly addictive and young people who use these may be encouraged to take up smoking in the future.
The Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) report ‘Use of e-cigarettes among young people in Great Britain’ shows that the number of children using vapes has tripled in the past three years and 20.5 per cent of children in Great Britain had tried vaping in 2023.
Due to nicotine content and the unknown long-term harms, vaping carries risks to health and lifelong addiction for children. The health advice is clear: young people and people who have never smoked should not vape.
Cumberland Council's trading standards team supports the UK Government proposals on youth vaping including:
- restricting flavours
- regulating point of sale displays
- regulating packaging and presentation
- considering restricting the supply and sale of disposable vapes
- whether regulations should extend to non-nicotine vapes
- taking action on the affordability of vapes
Residents, retailers, medical professionals, and others, are all encouraged to respond to the Government consultation on creating a smokefree generation at https://consultations.dhsc.gov.uk/65201ed1f3410a69990d3081.
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.