ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has welcomed an announcement from the Government on plans to introduce a range of measures to tackle underage vaping.
Announced today (30th May), the measures include:
- Closing of a loophole that allows firms to offer free samples of vapes to children
- Increased education and dedicated school police liaison officers to keep vapes out of schools
- A review on the level of fines for shops selling illicit vapes
- A review on whether “nicotine-free” vapes should be banned for under-18s
ACS chief executive James Lowman said: “The vaping market has grown significant over the past few years and convenience retailers have continued to act responsibly in the sale of these products by implementing age verification policies such as Challenge25. We welcome further resource to tackle underage vaping and the proposed ban on giving away free vapes to children – this simply does not happen in our sector and of course should not be legal.
“Now is the time for action against the irresponsible sale of these products to protect children and responsible retailers. There needs to be swift and decisive enforcement action on the ground to send the message that vaping products need to be sold responsibly to ensure the safety of our communities.”
ACS has developed comprehensive guidance alongside Surrey and Buckinghamshire Trading Standards on how to sell vapes responsibly and encourages retailers to use the robust Challenge25 policy for the sale of vapes, as is already the case for other age restricted products like alcohol or tobacco.
The full announcement is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/no-more-free-vapes-for-kids
