Officers from Kent Trading Standards have seized 450 disposable vapes from two Thanet shops this week.
Teams targeted 14 retailers in Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate with spot checks on Monday and Wednesday following the introduction of the ban on disposable vapes which came into force on June 1
Advice was given to shopkeepers and where problems have been identified the new regulations require notices to be issued that then trigger follow up inspections.
Kent Police’s Thanet Task Force supported Trading Standards with the operation on Wednesday.
There was a Trading Standards county-wide day of activity on Monday, 24 hours after the ban went live. A team of 13 officers from Kent Trading Standards completed 52 premises visits in the 12 districts on Monday.
It is now illegal for businesses to sell or supply all single use or disposable vapes, whether or not they contain nicotine.
Retailers can still sell or supply reusable vapes, but they must have a rechargeable battery, a replaceable coil and wadding and the ability to be refilled.
The regulations have been brought in because single use vape products are deemed to contribute to plastic pollution and are a potential fire risk when they end up in landfill sites because of their lithium batteries.
Kent Trading Standards’ Operations Manager Jim Whiddett said: “It really was a mixed bag in the first few days after the ban came in.
“We’d worked hard to support retailers to prepare and on the whole, we found most shops we visited had taken the necessary steps to sell all their disposable vapes or send them for recycling. They were ready and the transition was seamless.
“There were some who needed some more guidance and that was to be expected. We had questions about CBD products, which are covered by the legislation, and also identified vapes that were missing one of the three elements.
“Officers engaged with the retailers and provided education and guidance on the new law. There were a small minority that decided to flout the ban on day one, and they were issued compliance notices and can expect a follow up.
“Our thanks go to Thanet Task Force this week for being a proactive and supportive presence.”
Kent Trading Standards’ Vapes Team will continue to check no one is breaking the ban while they are out and about on their daily rounds on the high streets of Kent, and people can report any concerns to them at [email protected]
They can also use Citizens Advice consumer service or CrimeStoppers on 0800 555 111, which is always anonymous.
Retailers and consumers can find out more information from the Kent County Council website –Vapes – Kent County Council
Hope they get closed down. Feed up with seeing children smoking this filth.
Yep, they should be getting sloshed on cheap Cider instead.
95% safer than smoking after extensive peer reviewed testing was carried out by public health england pre TPD2016. Hence why the NHS recommend them as cessation devices across all trusts. You don’t smoke them, either. Given they do not produce smoke. As a writer, you should know its your job to inform, not misinform.
You know that isn’t true! There are more recently studies that prove otherwise. As you are in the industry, your view is biased.
Not necessarily – after all, being in the industry makes them an expert, surely
Next week they might target class A dealers? Plastic syringe pollution?
You don’t think they do that already?
Just ban them completely. They have got an entire new generation into smoking who wouldn’t usually have picked up normal cigarettes.
We made do with sweets that looked like cigarettes in our day!
As I said to checkers – 95% safer than smoking after extensive peer reviewed testing was carried out by public health england pre TPD2016. Hence why the NHS recommend them as cessation devices across all trusts. You don’t smoke them, either.
Hope they get seriously fined.All the discarded litter from these things is also a blott on the landscape.
£1000 fine first offence,£5000 second,close the shop third. That’ll do it. If they’d done that for selling to under 18s in the first place they wouldn’t have needed these new laws at all
You realise that most underage users either send a family member, or friend over 18 in to buy them, don’t you? You’re aware that a large number also order online using prepaid visa cards, right? If not, why not? You’re obviously very informed on this topic…
Parents like that should have their kids taken into care.