Tests reveal widespread illegal sales of e-cigarettes, vaping liquids

Tests by trading standards services have found that almost 40% of retailers illegally sold nicotine e-cigarettes and vaping liquids to children and young people.

The finding came as the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) warned that the service was too poorly resourced in some councils to risk mounting a major prosecution.

Officers carried out the first national test purchase operation for the Department of Health since sales to under 18s were banned.  

Under the Nicotine Inhaling Products (Age of Sale & Proxy Purchasing) Regulations 2015, which took effect last October, sales to under-18s are prohibited in most circumstances.

The CTSI said compliance with rules on age-of-sale aspect was “disappointingly low, with illegal sales made on 246 occasions”, equivalent to 39% of cases, drawn from independent pharmacies, specialist e-cigarette suppliers, discount stores, markets and tobacconists.

Chief executive Leon Livermore said e-cigarettes and vaping products were sold by “a wide variety of retailers and many of them will have little or no experience of challenging age restricted sales”.

Where an illegal sale was found, officers gave advice on achieving compliance.

Mark Smulian