Greater than 10,500 unlawful vapes – price greater than £150,000 – have been seized since September by Buying and selling Requirements, the county council has revealed.

The council stated it was as a result of that they had extra liquid than the legally-permitted restrict of two millilitres.

In July, Hampshire County Council handed a movement to create a framework that may educate college students, dad and mom, and lecturers concerning the risks of underage vaping.

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The framework may also give attention to the well being dangers, authorized implications, and additional enforcement of underage gross sales restrictions at shops.

In consequence, Buying and selling Requirements was given additional funding to develop an in-house crew to handle the availability of vapes to younger individuals within the county.

Since September, the HCC Buying and selling Normal (TS) crew has been in a position to ship 28 warning letters, go to 40 companies promoting vapes, and examine processes and safeguards to stop underage gross sales.

At November’s full council, Councillor Russell Oppenheimer, govt member for countryside and regulatory providers, revealed greater than 10,500 illicit vapes had been seized, which had a complete worth of £153,674.

Cllr Oppenheimer stated: “They [Trading Standards team] have seized over 10,500 illicit vapes, usually with extreme liquid content material. The full retail worth of the seized product is now £153,674.

“Check buying operations utilizing a plan involving volunteer younger individuals over the forthcoming few months. These can be goal outlets the place stories proceed, and issues are being raised because of the proactive visits. Formal motion can be thought of if any gross sales had been made to those younger volunteers. This motion could embody licence opinions or legal prosecutions.

“[..] As quickly because the Authorities bans them and resulting from that motion, all of the vaping outlets in Hampshire will know they should adjust to any new rules from day one, or we will probably be on their case.”

As a part of the Authorities’s proposals, it’s anticipated that the county council will obtain £1.5 million per 12 months in extra help till 2028/29.

Nearly all of which is anticipated to be spent on increasing the “Hampshire Cease Smoking Service”, however may be allotted to consciousness elevating, workforce coaching, and youth prevention actions.

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Chief of the council Councillor Rob Humby stated: “This [the additional funding] provides us the implausible alternative to scale back the prevalence of smoking and stop sick well being and early demise.

“I used to be additionally happy that the Authorities’s session on stopping younger individuals from taking on smoking and vaping contains proposals to limit the sale of disposable vapes. The decision on underage vaping handed by the total council in July highlighted the environmental hurt attributable to disposable vapes in addition to their potential to behave as a gateway for younger individuals to entry tobacco merchandise.

“The county council has been on the entrance foot in responding to the regarding youth vaping development. With officers in public well being, colleges, and buying and selling requirements are working collectively to help colleges and crack down on underage gross sales.”

The Native Authorities Affiliation (LGA) urged the ban to return into impact instantly in July because it forecasted the prohibition that the UAE and France impose for disposable vapes in 2026 and by December 2023, respectively, will flood the UK.

In 2023, figures present 69 per cent of younger individuals stated essentially the most steadily used system was a disposable (single-use) vape, up from 52 per cent in 2022 and seven.7 per cent in 2021. The most well-liked model was Elf Bar, and the preferred flavours are fruit and candy or tender drinks.