Vaping: Kent County Council to crackdown on underage vape sales

Kent County Council is to crack down on business owners who sell vaping products to under-18s

A council is planning a crackdown on retailers who illegally sell vaping products to teenagers.

Kent County Council (KCC) will launch a two-year project in the autumn after figures showed a rise in the use of vapes among young people.

The scheme will focus on business owners who sell to under-18s while educating users about the dangers of vaping.

Shopkeepers who persistently ignore the law will face legal action.

Last month, KCC voted to urge a complete ban on the sale of disposable e-cigarettes nationwide.

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KCC documents showed while smoking rates had declined among young people, recent reports showed a rise in e-cigarette use among school-aged children.

Officials said there were concerns the rise in vaping could lead to more young people being introduced to a "new gateway into smoking, particularly as nicotine is so addictive".

Increased teenage vaping has been linked to the availability of disposable products, sold in fruit flavours and colourful packaging, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

KCC's public health team is taking a "proactive and multi-pronged approach" to tackle vaping among young people across Kent

The documents from KCC said: "We are funding a two-year…project to develop a systematic programme of educating vape suppliers and retailers on the age restrictions of vape sales, providing resources and materials to support compliance and to take legal action, where necessary against retailers that persistently offend."

John Dunne, director general of the UK Vaping Industry Association, said there had been a "massive influx of illegal, untested and potentially deadly black-market products".

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