Nottinghamshire shops selling vapes to underage children to be targeted with new trading standards cash

Nottinghamshire Council has approved £90,000 over the next two years to tackle the issue.

Age-restricted products include vapes, cigarettes and alcohol, with trading teams planning to crack down on illegal sales of these products to minors.

Under the newly approved measures, trading standards officers will be trained to advise businesses and will pull together a list of the most-reported shops.

It will form part of an “intelligence gathering” exercise to find the shops and areas with the most complaints so visits can be conducted.

Advice packs on age-restricted products will be drawn up and handed to businesses and shop owners on visits.

Any complaints will be closely monitored to ensure shops are not illegally selling the products and, if a business is found selling to underage children, they will be invited in for an interview.

The authority could also consider taking action either through licensing restrictions or prosecution.

A council report said: “The project will have a significant effect on public health outcomes as it will aim to reduce the selling of alcohol, tobacco and vapes to minors by targeting the businesses that are selling these products.

“As a result, this will reduce the accessibility of these products and prevent the associated detrimental health impacts.

“It will also ensure the wider e-cigarettes market is compliant with UK legislation.”

The cash was approved by the council’s corporate director for adult social care and health.

It comes as the authority looks to strengthen control over tobacco use to improve the health of the county’s population.

Jonathan Gribbin, Nottinghamshire director for public health, says smoking is one of the “largest causes of health inequalities across Nottinghamshire”.

E-cigarettes are being used as a tool to help people quit tobacco products, with health bosses saying they are “twice as effective, and one-fifth the price”.

However, the authority says the increased popularity of vapes has led to higher numbers of products being sold to underage children and being found in schools.

Currently, about 14 per cent of adults in Nottinghamshire smoke, above the England average of 13.9 per cent.

However, the council says it wants to bring this figure down to zero and create a ‘smoke-free generation’ by 2040.