Teens target Leeds city centre for underage vape sales

There is an "emerging problem" of underage e-cigarette sales in Leeds, a health scrutiny meeting heard

Underage teens are traveling into Leeds city centre specifically to buy vapes as they are "easily available", public health officials have said.

Heather Thomson told the city's health scrutiny board that underage vape sales had overtaken reports of underage tobacco sales in Leeds.

Kathryn Ingold, public health lead for children and families, said she was "really worried" about the issue.

The government has said it is planning steps to curb vaping among under-18s.

The meeting was told Trading Standards officers are also looking to crack down on retailers in Leeds who are illegally selling vapes to children.

Test purchase operations, used to catch shops selling alcohol, cigarettes and knives to youngsters, are one tool likely to be used.

Ms Thomson said: "Anecdotally we've been told groups of young people are coming into the city centre where vapes are easily available to them and they've been sold them."

She said they were mainly buying fruit flavoured vapes "which are really being pushed with the bright colouring, marketing and the flavouring."

Ms Ingold added: "It is illegal for anyone under 18 to buy vaping products that contain nicotine, but we know children are getting hold of them.

"We're really very worried about the emerging illicit market in underage sales."

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The scrutiny board chair, Conservative councillor Dan Cohen was one of several councillors to hit out at the industry for the way vapes are promoted, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

"The marketing is unambiguously designed to attract young people. It's genuinely outrageous," he said.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak recently said it was "ridiculous" that vapes were designed and promoted to appeal to children when they were supposed to be used by adults giving up smoking.

Last month, Mr Sunak announced he would close a loophole allowing vaping companies to give free samples to children in England, and look at increasing fines for shops selling vapes illegally.

The UK Vaping Industry has previously said that "strong, targeted action directed at those selling vape products to children is the way forward".