No ifs, no butts! Shop owners could face unlimited fines for selling vapes to under-18s
- An ‘enforcement squad’ will carry out spot checks on stores and vape shops
- The rules targeting under-18s vaping are expected to be announced this week
Shop owners who illegally sell e-cigarettes to under-18s could face unlimited fines, The Mail on Sunday understands.
An ‘enforcement squad’ will crack down on those who flout the rules to tackle youth vaping and reduce smoking, Ministers are expected to announce this week.
Vaping is increasing in younger age groups, despite it being illegal to sell tobacco products to children. The measures to prevent shops selling vapes to under-18s will be outlined by Health Minister Neil O’Brien in a speech to the Policy Exchange think-tank on Tuesday.
He will announce an ‘illicit vapes enforcement squad’ to ensure the rules on vaping are followed, and to tackle illegal sales of e-cigarettes to those below the age of 18. It will be backed by £3 million of funding.
The squad, led by Trading Standards, will share intelligence across regional networks and local authorities throughout the country.
Ministers are expected to introduce new rules targeting Shop owners who illegally sell e-cigarettes to under-18s – which could see them face unlimited fines
Vaping has risen rapidly over the past decade to reach record levels in the UK, with an estimated 4.3million people who are regular vapers
It will carry out spot checks on convenience stores and vape shops and produce guidance to help retailers ensure that they comply with the rules. It will also have the power to remove illegal products from shops and at the UK’s borders.
Mr O’Brien will also set up a consultation to look at reducing the number of children using vapes, while still making them available to adults hoping to quit smoking.
The ‘call for evidence’ will look at the marketing and promotion of e-cigarettes and the environmental impact of single-use vapes.
Mr O’Brien said: ‘Smoking kills, so our priority is to prevent people smoking, and support them to quit.
‘We remain committed to our ambition to be smoke-free by 2030. However, while vaping is a preferable alternative to smoking for adults, we are concerned about the rise in youth vaping, particularly the increasing use of disposable vaping products.
‘The new illicit vapes enforcement squad will work across the country and clamp down on businesses that sell vapes to children and get them hooked on nicotine.’
Vaping has risen rapidly over the past decade to reach record levels in the UK, with an estimated 4.3million people who are regular vapers, according to a report last year. The data suggested that 8.3 per cent of adults in England, Wales and Scotland vape, up from 1.7 per cent a decade ago, which equated to about 800,000 people.
Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), which produced the report, said a ‘vaping revolution’ had taken place over the past decade.
The report showed e-cigarettes were becoming especially popular among young people, with 18- to 24-year-olds the biggest consumers in 2022, at 11 per cent.
Those 55 and over now have the lowest rate, at 5.9 per cent.
