Hit vapes with tough alcohol-like regulations and prosecute sellers for selling devices to children, British shopkeepers urge

RETAILERS are calling for mandatory vaporizer testing and alcohol-style licensing to protect vapers and prevent rogue shops selling to children.

Almost nine in ten shop owners (87%) want all vaporizers tested and certified before they hit shelves to ensure they meet British safety standards amid a flood of illegal “mega-vapes” from China.

According to independent Britain in Focus polling, three-quarters (76%) support retail licensing – putting vaporizers on an equal footing with alcohol – so that those who flout the law and sell to children can be banned.

The overwhelming support will reassure those who support tighter controls but are concerned about the risk of burdening small businesses with tighter regulations.

The ruling came after the Daily Mail revealed that MPs had pressured the government to toughen the new Tobacco and Vaping Devices Act to protect young people from addictive and potentially dangerous devices.

Surprisingly, vaporizers are not currently tested before they hit the shelves, despite a string of safety scandals involving cheap Chinese imports.

In March it was revealed that a third of all vape products sold in the UK were not compliant with regulations, with the Chartered Trading Standards Institute warning that they were being “overwhelmed” by a “wave” of illegal devices.

Last year, market leader Elfbar – which accounts for over a third of all e-cigarette sales in the UK and is the most popular brand among children – was caught by MailOnline selling illegal vapes containing nicotine well above the UK limit.

Supermarkets and wholesalers have pulled the Chinese company’s best-selling Elfbar 600 from shelves and watchdog the MHRA issued a nationwide warning after our tests showed it exceeded the 2ml limit by more than 50%.

Trading Standards also carried out raids in 2021 and issued an urgent warning after Geek Bar Pros – owned by the same Chinese company – were found in UK stores with a nicotine content of five per cent, more than DOUBLE the UK limit.

They were so strong that young users reported nosebleeds, coughing up blood, headaches, chest pains and dizziness.

The research found that almost a quarter (23%) of retailers had difficulty determining whether the vapes they sold were in breach of UK regulations.

There are also no restrictions on where you can sell vaporizers. Brightly colored gadgets are now found on the shelves of candy stores and even toy stores.

Overall, store owners overwhelmingly support creating licenses for retailers selling vapes to adjust to alcohol levels, with 76% 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” about the ability to sell vaporizers in any retail location.

A majority of retailers (56 percent) also believe the government still hasn’t done enough to address 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, with 79 percent of the public supporting the creation of a retail vaping license.

The survey of 1,000 retailers was conducted on behalf of British vaporizer manufacturer British American Tobacco, which supports stricter regulations to protect vaping’s reputation and maintain the trust of adults who use vaping as a quit smoking tool.

Asli Ertonguc, from BAT, said: “The Tobacco and Vaping Devices Bill is an opportunity for the Government to introduce smarter regulation of vaping products so that the UK’s ambition to be smoke-free by 2030 can be achieved – an ambition we share.

“It’s clear that most people don’t believe the current penalties are working. We believe that the licensing system can play a key role here. If you violate the license, you will lose it. It works for alcohol – we believe it will work for vaping.