Tough Enforcement Needed
Tough enforcement is needed against rogue traders as the disposable vape ban comes into force, according to The Association of Convenience Stores
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by Dave Cross
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The Association of Convenience Stores has called for more resources for Trading Standards officers to be able to enforce against the rogue traders that are blatantly ignoring the law and selling illicit vapes and other products. The demand comes as a UK-wide ban on disposable vapes came into force on June 1st, with only vapes that are both refillable and rechargeable legal for sale from now on.
The Association of Convenience Stores says that Trading Standards teams are drastically under-resourced, with officers typically only able to visit a premises as a result of intelligence and reports from consumers or other businesses.
Research conducted for ACS last year showed that Trading Standards teams would need £140m over the next five years to deal with illicit vapes alone, with £30m required this year - three times the amount that has been provided to enforcement officers.
There are thousands of rogue traders that are already selling illegal vapes, that could see a major boost when responsible retailers take them off their shelves for good on June 1st, the Association of Convenience Stores stated.
Association of Convenience Stores chief executive James Lowman said: “We have been working with retailers, the Government and Trading Standards for months on providing detailed guidance that sets out how to spot non-compliant vapes after the ban comes into force, as well as advising retailers on what they need to do with any stock of disposables left over on June 1st.
“We strongly support robust enforcement activity, starting with the businesses that are already openly flouting the rules by selling illicit product and who will continue to sell disposable vapes once they’re outlawed. It is essential that Trading Standards teams are given the resources they need to get illegal vapes and other products off the streets, as these rogue businesses undermine the work of responsible retailers across the country.”
The ban has been brought into force to cut down on the millions of vapes that are being thrown away every week, despite containing lithium-ion batteries and other electrical components.
All vapes, including the rechargeable and refillable devices that are legal for sale after the ban, must be recycled and not thrown away.
Every retailer that sells vaping products has a legal responsibility to provide recycling facilities on a minimum of a one for one basis.
The Association of Convenience Stores has produced a detailed guide for retailers which is also being utilised by enforcement officers to recognise illegal products.
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Author
Dave Cross
Journalist at POTVDave is a freelance writer; with articles on music, motorbikes, football, pop-science, vaping and tobacco harm reduction in Sounds, Melody Maker, UBG, AWoL, Bike, When Saturday Comes, Vape News Magazine, and syndicated across the Johnston Press group. He was published in an anthology of “Greatest Football Writing”, but still believes this was a mistake. Dave contributes sketches to comedy shows and used to co-host a radio sketch show. He’s worked with numerous start-ups to develop content for their websites.
