TRADERS are calling for mandatory vape testing and alcohol licensing to protect vapers and stop dishonest shops selling to children.
Almost nine in ten retailers (87%) want all vapes to be tested and certified before hitting shelves to ensure they meet UK safety standards amid a flood of illegal ‘mega vapes’ coming from China .
And three quarters (76%) are in favor of retail licensing, equating vaping with alcohol, so that those breaking the law and selling to children can be banned, according to an independent Britain in Focus poll.
The overwhelming support will reassure those who support stricter controls but fear the risk of burdening small businesses with increased regulations.
It comes after the Daily Mail revealed that MPs were pressuring the government to toughen the new tobacco and e-cigarettes bill to protect young people from these addictive and potentially dangerous devices.
Last year, market leader Elfbar, which accounts for more than a third of all vape sales in the UK and is the most popular brand among children, was caught selling illegal vapes with nicotine levels well above the boundaries of the United Kingdom.
Data from NHS Digital, based on the survey of tobacco, alcohol and drug use among young people in England for 2021, showed that 30 per cent of children in Yorkshire and the Humber have used a vape.
Most retailers feel the Government has not yet done enough to tackle underage vaping, with a quarter saying underage vaping is common in their area.
Surprisingly, vaporizers are not currently tested before they go on sale, despite a series of safety scandals involving cheap Chinese imports.
In March it was revealed that a third of all vaping products sold in the UK were non-compliant and the Chartered Trading Standards Institute warned they were being “overwhelmed” by a “wave” of illegal devices.
Last year, MailOnline caught market leader Elfbar, which accounts for more than a third of all vape sales in the UK and is the most popular brand among children, selling illegal vapes with nicotine levels well above the boundaries of the United Kingdom.
Supermarkets and wholesalers pulled the Chinese firm’s best-selling product, Elfbar 600, from shelves and the MHRA watchdog issued a nationwide warning after our testing showed it exceeded the 2ml limit by more than 50 percent. hundred.
Trading Standards also carried out raids in 2021 and issued an urgent warning after finding Geek Bar Pros, owned by the same Chinese company, on sale in UK stores with a five per cent nicotine concentration – more than DOUBLE the UK limit.
They were so powerful that young users reported nosebleeds, coughing up blood, headaches, chest pains, and dizziness.
The survey revealed that almost a quarter (23%) of retailers found it difficult to determine whether the vaporisers they were selling breached UK regulations.
There are also no restrictions on where vaporizers can be sold. These brightly colored gadgets are currently found on the shelves of candy stores and even toy stores.
Overall, merchants overwhelmingly support creating a license for retailers selling vaporizers to bring them in line with alcohol, with 76 percent in favor.
The survey found widespread concern among retailers about the lack of restrictions on who can sell the devices, with 54 percent saying they were “concerned” or “very concerned” that vaporizers could be sold in any retail location.
The majority of retailers (56 per cent) also feel the Government has not yet done enough to tackle underage vaping, with a quarter saying underage vaping is common in their area.
The high level of support for a vaping license reflects the opinion of the general public: 79 percent of the public supports the creation of a retail vaping license.
The survey of 1,000 retailers was carried out for British vaporizer maker British American Tobacco, which backs stricter laws to protect vaping’s reputation and maintain the trust of adults who use it as a smoking cessation tool.
BAT’s Asli Ertonguc said: “The Tobacco and E-Cigarettes Bill is an opportunity for the Government to introduce smarter regulation on e-cigarette products so that it is in a position to meet the UK’s ambition to be a smoke-free country by 2030, an ambition we share. .
‘It is clear that most people do not believe that the current sanctions are working. We believe that a licensing system can play a crucial role here. If you breach your license, you lose it. This works with alcohol; “We think it will work with vaping.”