In a recent court case, Johns News in Linthorpe Road was banned from trading by a judge at Teesside Magistrates court. The ban was issued under anti-social behaviour legislation after trading standards officers from Middlesbrough Council raided the shop in April, seizing 1,285 non-compliant vapes with a value of over £15,000.
This enforcement action followed several complaints made to the council regarding the sale of vapes to individuals under the legal age. All the products confiscated during the raid contained illegal levels of nicotine, with some even labelled as containing none at all. Additionally, some of the confiscated products did not comply with labelling laws.
District judge Marie Mallon ordered the store’s closure for three months and demanded that the owner, Harpreet Singh, pay £1,500 towards the council’s costs. Judith Hedgley, head of public protection at Middlesbrough Council, emphasised the ongoing proactive measures taken by the council’s trading standards team to ensure compliance of businesses selling vapes. Their efforts include checking that such businesses only sell legitimate products and do not sell nicotine-containing vapes to anyone under the age of 18.
Hedgley warned that any business found to have sold nicotine-containing vapes to minors could be prosecuted and/or issued with closure orders. Middlesbrough Mayor, Chris Cooke, highlighted the benefits of e-cigarettes or nicotine-containing vapes in helping smokers quit. However, he also expressed concerns over the recreational use of nicotine vapes by young people.
Recent reports have highlighted that illegal vapes can contain harmful substances such as lead and nickel. Exposure to these substances can damage the central nervous system and affect brain development. It is important that businesses selling vapes comply with the laws and regulations governing their sale to protect public health.