More than half of adults in Ashford, Kent, are aware of illegal vapes being sold in the town, according to Local Vape Action (LVA).
The research follows the launch of the LVA partnership in Ashford after a successful pilot in Tunbridge Wells.
The LVA is a partnership approach to tackling vaping issues at a local level. It brings together local authority partners as well as the vape sector via the Independent British Vape Trade Association (IBVTA), to identify and target specific areas.
As part of the pilot in Tunbridge Wells, retailers received visits from trading standards to ensure they were complying with their legal obligations.
Officers utilised targeted LVA guidance, including age-verification policies, in-store signage and retailer awareness of compliant vape products and vape takeback for used vapes.
To support the extended partnership in Ashford, Trading Standards have conducted Challenge 25 visits across the town and newly commissioned research
It found that 17% have seen or strongly suspected illegal vapes being sold in the town and 80% of those reported it to the authorities.
Over two third said they were either somewhat or fully aware of the LVA, while 92% believed the initiatve is either a good or excellent initiative
Of potential actions in Ashford, 32% would like to see reduced visibility of vapes in shop windows and 27% reported action against businesses selling to children.
The results of this project and other planned phases are informing the ongoing development of a national LVA that is set to launch later in 2025, the group announced.
“Kent County Council Trading Standards is proud to champion the launch of the LVA in Ashford, building on the success of its pilot in Tunbridge Wells. This groundbreaking initiative strengthens responsible vape retailing by fostering collaboration between industry leaders, local partners, and retailers,” said Mark Rolfe, head of Community Protection at Kent County Council.
”By raising awareness amongst retailers about their legal responsibilities regarding age-restricted sales, the LVA is taking meaningful action to curb underage access to vapes in our communities.”
Comenting on the next phase in Ashford, Gillian Golden, CEO of the IBVTA, said ’’We are delighted to be working with Local Vape Action (LVA) and partners from across Kent in delivering this next pilot in Ashford. The comprehensive programme over the coming months will go towards tackling the well-documented issues that undermine a responsible vape sector.”
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