A new survey has found that around 80% of e-cigarette users in Northern Ireland say they have never been asked to prove their age, according to a report in the Irish News on 25 October. This is the highest rate in the UK.
The survey of 1,000 e-cigarette users aimed to understand how often they are asked to prove their age when making a purchase and which retailers are not strictly enforcing the rules. The data shows that 45% of e-cigarette users in the UK say they have never been asked to prove their age. In Northern Ireland, this figure rises to 80%.
The survey results show that Belfast, Norwich and Plymouth are the top three cities where people are not asked to prove their age when buying e-cigarettes, while Newcastle, Southampton and Birmingham are the cities where age verification is most frequently requested. 48% of respondents in the UK said they had never been asked to prove their age when buying e-cigarettes in large supermarkets. This is closely followed by local e-cigarette shops and convenience stores.
David Phillips of Vape Superstore, the company commissioned to carry out the research, said: "With the implementation of the Tobacco and E-cigarettes Act, retailers need to take more responsibility for ensuring that e-cigarette products do not fall into the hands of children. Our research shows that e-cigarette users overall support stricter age verification, indicating that everyone agrees that protecting children is a top priority in this process. E-cigarettes are designed to help adult smokers quit, not to encourage children to start nicotine replacement therapy."
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