Seized vapes

East London council leads the way with crackdown on illegal vape sales

The Trading Standards team at Barking and Dagenham Council have launched an initiative to stamp out the sale of the illegal vapes and to prevent young people under 18 from buying them.

The initial pilot started at the beginning of October, following rising concerns that young people are easily buying disposable vapes from local businesses and that several of these vapes don’t follow UK regulations.

Disposable vapes are becoming increasingly popular amongst school aged children and contain the highly addictive nicotine. The worry is that addiction to vapes could lead to stronger substances later down the line and possible health complications.

The project aims to:

  • Ensure compliance checks are carried out at shops selling vapes to ensure products comply with labelling law.
  • Carry out chemical analysis of vapes to ensure correct nicotine content and that they meet labelling requirements.
  • Remove and destroy non-complaint vapes.
  • Carry out educational workshops in schools and an enhanced marketing campaign.
  • Introduce a voluntary Responsible Retailer Scheme across the borough.
  • Produce marketing material and Challenge 25 banners for retail premises.
  • Undertake robust enforcement action against persistent offenders.

So far this month, the council’s Trading Standards officers have carried out 21 underage test purchase attempts, with one business failing by selling to a young person. The business now faces prosecution. Officers have also removed 360 illegal and oversized vapes from local businesses.

Illegal vapes often contain ingredients that have not been approved for sale in the UK and could have adverse impact on people’s health.

Councillor Syed Ghani, Cabinet Member for Enforcement and Community Safety said: “Vapes have become very popular over the last couple of years and it’s concerning to see so many young people under 18 using them.

“Nicotine addiction still causes health problems, especially starting at a young age. It’s also really important we make sure the products are exactly what they claim to be, so that’s why the council’s teams are out making sure all businesses are following the rules.”

If residents are aware of a business selling vapes to children or selling illegal products, they can report them to the council by emailing tradingstandards@lbbd.gov.uk.