IBVTA responds to Government announcement on free vape product samples for children
New plans announced by the Prime Minister today aims to close a loophole that allows retailers to give free samples of vapes to children in England.
The government’s Call for Evidence on youth vaping launched last month will build on today’s action by looking at evidence into the appeal of vapes as well as the marketing and promotion of vapes, including on social media, to identify opportunities to reduce the number of children accessing and using vape products – and explore where government can go further.
One area of this review will be into the rules on issuing fines to shops selling vapes to under 18s illegally, to allow local Trading Standards to issue on the spot fines and fixed penalty notices more easily. This will aim to complement existing fine and penalty procedures, and where possible cover both illegal and underage sales for vapes and tobacco.
Today’s measures for schools will build on new content published in October 2022 on the potential risks of vaping for young people on the FRANK and Better Health websites. In addition, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) are also developing a new resource pack for schools on vaping, intended for children aged 11-13 and will be made available via the Better Health School Zone website by July.
The IBVTA believes that there is a clear association between the sale of illegal vapes and sales to young people. We have for some time called for additional resources to help Trading Standards teams apply more meaningful enforcement to the sale of vape products.
In our meeting with Public Health Minister Neil O’Brien last week, we urged a focus on effective enforcement at the UK’s borders. Both Trading Standards and the legitimate vape trade will benefit from the prevention of illegal products arriving on the UK market in the first place.
Gillian Golden, CEO of the Independent British Vape Trade Association said:
“Selling products to under 18s has been illegal for some years now, as have proxy sales. Those who ignore the law bring reputable retailers who uphold strict age verification protocols into disrepute. We welcome the planned review on bringing nicotine free products under existing rules and we look forward to continuing to support enforcement agencies in tackling illicit trade and illegal products.
The loophole allowing free samples to be distributed regardless of consumer age is a gap that no self-respecting business should ever have considered exploiting. The IBVTA applauds the announcement that such activity will soon be illegal.
While it’s concerning that access to vapes by young people on the increase, it’s encouraging to see the Government’s continued recognition of the important role that vaping plays in driving down adult smoking rates”.