In secret raids in Lancashire, England, one-third of the stores were found to be illegally selling vapes to underage volunteers, with 20 stores violating regulations in test purchases, four stores selling vapes out of compliance, and more than 300 vapes confiscated, with the stores involved facing court action and fines of up to $2,500.
One county in the UK carried out 50 raids during the summer: a third of shops sold vapes to minors
On Sept. 13, more than 50 covert raids took place in Lancashire, England, this summer, with a third of the stores illegally selling vapes to underage volunteers, according to the official website of Lancashire County Council.
Lancashire County Council’s Trading Standards Team, in conjunction with Lancashire Police, visited 56 stores spread across Lancaster, Wyre, Preston, Ribble Valley, Chorley, Hindburn, Burnley and Pendle in July and August. By law, vapes should not be sold to anyone under the age of 18 For older people, sales clerks should follow the “challenge” “25” rule, which requires people who appear to be under the age of 25 to show proof of identity.
Of the 56 tests and purchase attempts, 20 stores failed the test and sold vapes to volunteers. Four of the stores sold vapes that did not meet the required safety regulations and inspectors confiscated more than 300 of the failed vapes.
The Trading Standards team is currently investigating these failures, which could lead to court prosecutions. The maximum penalty for selling vapes to minors is $2,500.
County Councillor Michael Green – Greenacres County Council’s Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing (Michael Green) said:
- “Our summer undercover operation showed that work to avoid young people buying vapes still needs to improve. It was disappointing that our team found several 20 The store was willing to ignore the rules and sell such products to young Lancashire residents.”
Dave Byrne, Community Police Officer at Lancashire Constabulary, said:
- “Selling vapes to children is not only illegal but can cause them harm and lead to anti-social behavior issues. We will continue to work with our partners to ensure that these products do not fall into the hands of children and that strict measures are taken against those selling them illegally.”
