Shops caught selling vapes to underagers
One in five shops are willing to sell vapes to under 18s, an investigation has found.
Trading Standards asked volunteers under the legal purchase age to try buying vapes from retailers across Scotland.
The volunteers were successful in getting e-cigs from 63 shops out of the 312 tested.
The study also found that one in eight shops were willing to sell cigarettes to the under 18s.
The Society of Chief Officers of Trading Standards in Scotland (SCOTSS) called the results “very concerning”.
David MacKenzie, Chair of the organisation said: “The health of young people is a key priority for Trading Standards.
“Smoking is the greatest threat to their health and development, especially for younger children.
“We will be stepping up efforts this year to support sellers with advice, and continue to take enforcement action where sellers break the law. “
SCOTSS is concerned that the bright coloured packaging of disposable vapes and sweet flavourings are “child appealing”.
Mr MacKenzie added: “We would like to see the same display rules applied to vapes that is applied to tobacco, i.e. they are kept out of sight in store.”
Recent years has seen a sharp rise in popularity for electronic cigarettes among teenagers.
In May of this year, data revealed that approximately 12% of Britain’s 11-17 year-olds had tried vaping, a 50% increase since 2022.
Professor Jacob George from the University of Dundee has been researching the effects of electronic cigarettes for the past ten years.
He said: “We need to find ways to better educate young people and deter them from vaping.
“We need to build up an evidence base, there’s no point experts giving their expert opinion not based on any facts, that won’t convince them.
“I don’t think it’s ever going to go away but we need to be able to inform and educate people so they can make good choices.”
