Hundreds of illegal vapes have been confiscated from two stores during a crackdown in Barking.
On Wednesday, officials drawn from Dagenham and Barking Council’s Trading Standards Service seized over 500 of the illegal gadgets after inspecting the stores and discovering they were dealing in goods that did not adhere to UK standards.
Councillor Syed Ghani, the cabinet member in charge of enforcement and community safety, criticized the companies for “perhaps endangering people’s lives.”
“Local companies have a duty to sell goods that are healthy for our citizens to utilize,” he stated. “These two stores violated UK legislation and may be endangering the public.
“Seizures like these demonstrate the significance of the job done by our Trading Standards officers, who continue to safeguard our communities in an outstanding manner.”
Both stores will receive warning letters, and council officers will remain vigilant and keep an eye on them. They risk receiving more punishment if they continue to sell these goods.
Residents should send an email to [email protected] if they know of stores that are selling illegal goods.
Vaping product sales are subject to tight regulations.
According to the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016, vaping equipment and liquids must include an information sheet with the required safety guidelines, and precautions, as well as UK-based contact information. The product is not advised for consumption by children or non-smokers, which must also be stated in the brochure.
While this is going on, nicotine-containing liquids must be contained in a special refill canister with a maximum capacity of 10ml, a single-use cartridge, a disposable e-cigarette, or a tank that holds no more than two milliliters.
Additionally, there are certain rules for packing. Each product must include a label that reads, in strong, black Helvetica text on a white background, occupying 30% of the front and rear of the box, that it contains nicotine, an extremely addictive chemical.
In the UK, vaping is growing in popularity, especially among the younger generation, raising questions about how easily accessible vaping goods are.
According to research conducted by Action on Smoking and Health, the proportion of 11 to 18-year-olds who started vaping doubled in the 12 months preceding October, and some schools have received reports of students as younger as seven who use it.
