According to a report by Nation.Cymru on September 26th, new data requested under the Freedom of Information Act shows that reports of e-cigarette sales to teenagers in Wales increased by 57% over the past year. Local authorities in Wales received almost one report of underage e-cigarette sales per day last year, but only 5% of cases resulted in penalties.
Local council collectively issued fines totaling only £1250 to those selling e-cigarettes to children, well below the maximum fine of £2500 for a single offense. Leaders in the e-cigarette industry emphasize the need for stricter penalties to serve as a deterrent.
The data is from a 2024 report on the sale of e-cigarettes to minors, which analyzed information obtained by Vape Club from 138 local authorities in the UK under the Freedom of Information Act. The report calls on the government to introduce a licensing framework for e-cigarette retailers and distributors to curb the black market for e-cigarettes and prevent sales to children.
In the past 12 months, the regions in Wales with the highest reported e-cigarette sales to minors are as follows: Rhondda Cynon Taf: 70 cases, Merthyr Tydfil County Council: 46 cases, Caerphilly County Council: 31 cases, Anglesey: 31 cases, Gwynedd Council: 24 cases.
In the UK, there have been over 4,500 cases of underage e-cigarette sales reported in the past year, equivalent to one case every two hours, representing a 31% increase compared to the previous year. Dan Marchant, director of Vape Club, has stated that the government needs to support local councils in implementing stricter penalties. Despite some progress being made, it is clear that there is still a lot of work to be done in addressing the issue of underage e-cigarette sales in Wales.
Montchante emphasized that a licensing framework could provide £50 million in funding for trade standards each year without burdening taxpayers, allowing for stricter enforcement and higher fines. Currently, the maximum fine for violations is £2,500, but actual fines are often much lower. Montchante hopes to raise fines to at least £10,000 and impose harsher penalties on repeat offenders.
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