Vape sales to kids a major concern, hears council

During test purchase exercises, one in five attempts to buy vape or alcohol products in Caerphilly resulted in an illegal sale

The sales of vapes to children is a "major concern", a Welsh council has heard.

Officers at Caerphilly council were reporting on the issue after carrying out operations in the county last year.

During those test purchase exercises, one in five of the attempts to buy vape or alcohol products resulted in an illegal sale.

The Welsh government says it is looking at how to prevent the use of e-cigarettes by children.

During two operations last year, officers from the trading standards department in Caerphilly organised 25 attempted purchases in the county, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Five resulted in a sale to an underage volunteer.

Reporting to the council's environment and sustainability committee, Jacqui Morgan, trading standards, licensing and registrars manager described the situation as a "major concern".

During 2022-2023, the council received 55 complaints - five in relation to alcohol, one relating to tobacco, and 39 relating to vaping products.

Ms Morgan said: "It's a major concern, and in England they have given additional resources to do more test purchases, there hasn't been any funding in Wales."

The Welsh government said reports of an increase in young people vaping were "very concerning"

Last year, a BBC Wales investigation found 40% of shops it attended in Cardiff sold e-cigarettes illegally to children.

Recent data suggests a doubling in the percentage of young people vaping across the UK.

A Welsh government spokesperson said: "Reports indicating an increase in use of these products by young people are very concerning.

"As part of our strategy to deliver a smoke-free Wales by 2030, we are looking at what more we can do to prevent the use of e-cigarettes by children and young people and will publish that work later this year.

"E-cigarettes should never be used by children, young people and non-smokers.

"It is illegal to sell electronic cigarettes or e-liquids to someone under 18. It is also an offence for adults to buy, or try to buy, tobacco products or e-cigarettes for someone under the age of 18."