A COUNCIL is cracking down on underage vaping and illegal vapes in the marketplace.
Data obtained from a Freedom of Information request to Westmorland and Furness Council revealed that in both 2022 and 2023, two businesses in the Barrow area were caught selling vape products that were not compliant with regulations.
In addition, two South Lakeland businesses were found to be selling non-compliant vapes in 2022, as well as one business in 2023.
Sellers of e-cigarettes must follow strict rules for them to be considered legal, including keeping the nicotine levels within e-liquids below 20mg/ml, and having tank capacities that do not go above 2ml.
However, within this time period, two Barrow businesses were caught selling vape products to underage children.
According to the FOI response, trade advice and warning letters were given to those businesses found to be non-compliant.
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A council spokesman said: “Removing illegal vapes from the marketplace is a priority for Westmorland and Furness Trading Standards.
“Trading Standards regularly undertakes covert underage sales exercises to ensure businesses are not selling age restricted products to minors.
“Any business found to be breaking these rules risk being prosecuted, and a possible maximum £2,500 fine.”
A total of nine premises were visited within the area, with the operations taking place in Ulverston and Barrow.
During the visits, which were conducted in accordance with the Age Restricted Products and Services: A Code of Practice for Regulatory Delivery, two businesses sold an age restricted vape to the underage volunteer.
Earlier this year, Westmorland and Furness Council launched a Vaping Taskforce within the Furness area, aiming to protect minors from the ‘harms of vapes’.
The taskforce consists of Trading Standards, Public Health, Environmental Health, NHS, Cumbria Police, and members of Furness Education Consortium.
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The Council spokesman said: “The aim of the Taskforce is to take a collaborative and community-informed approach to protect young people, under 18 years of age from the harms of vapes.
“Work is being done to share communication/intelligence around vaping and we are offering training and support for schools to respond to the growing concern and increase in incidence and reporting of young people using vapes.
“We do not encourage young people to start vaping.
“However, for adults who smoke, nicotine vaping is one of the most effective tools for quitting smoking.
“Vaping is not completely harmless and we only recommend it for adult smokers, to support quitting smoking and staying smokefree.”
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