New statistics have been released by ASH and YouGov on the vaping habits of young people, aged between 11 and 17. According to the data, 7.6% of young people currently vape, with 72% of them buying vapes themselves. Out of all the young people, 26% report buying vapes from corner shops.
To encourage responsible sales, ACS recommends using the stringent Challenge 25 policy when selling vapes, in line with similar age-restricted products like tobacco and alcohol. The Chief Executive of ACS, James Lowman, stated that while most retailers have effective age verification policies in place, there remain some businesses that are not ensuring responsible sales. The industry welcomes tougher enforcement against any retailer found to sell vapes to under 18s.
The vaping market has seen considerable growth in the last few years, with popularity increasing for single use ‘disposable’ products. ACS, in partnership with Surrey and Buckinghamshire Trading Standards, has developed a guide to selling vapes responsibly and recognizing legitimate products. This guide is now available on the ACS website.
To tackle the illicit vaping market, the government has announced an additional £3m in resources aimed at removing illegal products from shelves. It is hoped these measures, alongside the guide from ACS, will help to ensure the vaping market is operated responsibly and ethically.