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The Persistent Issue of Non-Complaint U.K. Vape Retailers – What Can be Done?

A survey by a major vape retailer revealed the U.K. cities with the least compliant vape retailers.

December 7, 2024

The surge in youth vaping has highlighted critical shortcomings in age verification practices among retailers, with statistics showing that 1 in 5 children had tried vaping by 2023, a staggering 50% year-over-year increase. This trend has raised concerns about possible health risks to young people, whose bodies are still developing, and underscores the urgent need for tighter enforcement of regulations to prevent underage access to vaping products.

To this effect, the UK’s Tobacco and Vapes Bill is driving efforts to curb underage vaping by working on a retail licensing scheme, as well as enforcing stricter regulations, including fines of up to £2,500 for retailers found selling to minors. However in the meantime, gaps in enforcement remain a pressing issue.

A recent survey commissioned by Vape Superstore revealed significant gaps in age verification practices among vaping retailers in the UK. Given the growing concerns over youth vaping, and resulting restrictions which in most cases will also affect adults using vapes for smoking cessation, these findings are all the more alarming.

In fact, the need for stricter enforcement of policies to deter underage access to vapes, was underscored by the vast majority of survey respondents. More specifically, an overwhelming 89% of vapers believe stricter policies are necessary to prevent underage vaping, with slightly higher support among females (91%) compared to males (86%).

Other key findings on age verification practices included that younger generations, particularly Gen Z, reported being more frequently asked for age verification, reflecting retailers’ focus on younger demographics. However, 45% of the 1,000 e-cigarette users surveyed vapers reported never being asked to verify their age when purchasing vaping products, with females (60%) being asked more frequently than males (46%).

Regional disparities in adherance to age restrictions

Of the cities with the weakest age verification practices, Belfast was at the top of the list – with 80% of respondents never being asked for age verification, followed by Norwich, at 65%, and Plymouth at 60%.

Northern Ireland had the poorest enforcement, with 80% of respondents never being asked for ID, compared to 66% in the North East who were asked. In fact, of the cities with the weakest age verification practices, Belfast was at the top of the list – with 80% of respondents never being asked for age verification, followed by Norwich, at 65%, and Plymouth at 60%. While the cities which ranked highest in enforcing age checks were Newcastle, at 64%, Southampton (62%), and Birmingham (61%).

Supermarkets were identified as the worst offenders, with 48% of respondents never being asked to verify their age, followed by vape shops (47%) and convenience stores (41%). Pharmacies and interestingly, festival stands, had the best enforcement records, with only 4% of respondents reporting lax practices.

The survey’s findings reveal an urgent need for standardized enhanced enforcement of age verification policies across the UK. Industry stakeholders and experts in field alike, agree that vaping products are intended to assist adults in quitting smoking, not to initiate nicotine use among youth. Non-compliant retailers are not only guilty of the latter, but also contribute to shedding a bad light on the whole industry, an industry which is already viewed with scepticism and suspicion.

Public Support for Stricter Policies

An overwhelming 89% of vapers believe stricter policies are necessary to deter youth vaping, with males being slightly less supportive than females, at 86% vs 91% respectively. Meanwhile, despite being from the city with the worst enforcement, Belfast respondents unanimously supported stricter measures. In contrast, Norwich had the highest opposition, with 15% against tougher policies.

In other news, an innovative facial age estimation app, AgeAI, is now available to Irish vape retailers. A 2023 study revealed that over one-third of Irish youths aged 13–16 vape, while nearly 25% of 10–12-year-olds have tried it, reiterating the pressing need for robust age verification measures. This new app, resulting from a collaboration between , Johnston Retail Services and SafetyTech firm Privately SA, aims to address this growing problem, reducing the risk of fines for retailers, while removing the awkwardness of having to ask for ID.

AgeAI estimates ages with near-perfect accuracy, operates anonymously, and does not store or transmit images, ensuring full GDPR compliance. Customers need to simply look at a screen to determine if they appear old enough to purchase restricted products, eliminating guesswork for staff and reducing conflicts over ID checks. The app integrates seamlessly into retail environments, offering an efficient solution without burdening customers or staff.

In fact this technology has already been adopted by hundreds of UK vape stores and facilitated nearly one million age checks worldwide in the past year. Privately SA CEO Deepak Tewari emphasized the app’s role in reducing store confrontations while supporting legal adherance. And given widespread non-compliance with age verification, implementing tools like AgeAI should perhaps be mandatory, aligning retailers with legal responsibilities.