Officials Warn Shops Against Selling E-Cigarettes to Minors

Aug.26.2022
Officials Warn Shops Against Selling E-Cigarettes to Minors
Officials have warned convenience stores in northeast Lincolnshire not to sell e-cigarettes to minors, citing legal implications.

Officials from the Public Health and Trading Standards department of Lincolnshire County Council in the northeast of England have issued a warning to local businesses, cautioning them against selling electronic cigarettes to underage customers. Trading standards officers have written to nearly 300 convenience store retailers in the area, informing them of the law and their responsibilities. Despite it being illegal to sell or supply e-cigarettes to anyone under 18, stores remain the most common source of supply for underage e-cigarette users (47%).


Anyone caught selling electronic cigarette products to children under the age of 18 may face prosecution. This includes e-liquids, e-cigarette devices, and any other accessories used for electronic cigarettes. It is also illegal for adults to purchase e-cigarette products for children under the age of 18. Those found violating this law may face similar charges to that of buying alcohol or tobacco products for minors.


Earlier this year, officials from the trade standards department conducted multiple inspections at small businesses in the area in search of illegal disposable e-cigarette devices containing high levels of nicotine. Stan Shreeve, the chair of the Health, Wellbeing and Adult Social Care Committee for the Northeast Lincolnshire Council, stated, "We are increasingly concerned about the number of children and young people in the area using disposable e-cigarettes, particularly those who have never smoked before. That is why we need to ensure strict regulations and controls on e-cigarette products to protect the health of future generations.


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