Most under-18s who vape are sourcing vapes through the black market, new polling suggests – a warning sign that restrictions and bans are failing to keep products out of young people’s hands.
A survey of 2,000 adults and 500 youths aged 15 to 17 in the UK and US found that 79 per cent believe underage users buy vapes online, while 90 per cent said vapes are often passed around by friends and siblings. Six in ten said age checks in shops are too easy to bypass.
Atul Sodha, an independent retailer of 36 years who has run small franchise shops, said: “We need a belt and braces approach to age verification in order to ensure we keep within legal frameworks while helping the Government achieve its smoke-free objectives.
“A triple-lock effect of manufacturer technology, retailer vigilance, and point of use age verification within vapes would not only help in eliminating youth use, but will also help resolve the challenges we face in anti-social behaviour and verbal and physical abuse of staff during point of sale processes.”
Gaps in enforcement
The law already bans retailers from selling nicotine-containing vaping products to under-18s, and prohibits adults from buying them for youngsters. However, big gaps in enforcement remain.
According to the latest report, 74 per cent of respondents said underage users were still able to purchase vapes in stores with minimal or even non-existent checks.
The survey, conducted by age verification experts IKE Tech, also showed that 61 per cent of both adults and teenagers believe peer pressure and social influence are the primary reasons young people start vaping. Forty two per cent of 15 to 17-year-olds admitted they vape to fit in or appear older.
The research highlights that prohibitions and restrictions are failing to prevent youth access to vapes. In fact, they are fuelling a booming illicit trade, which is far more dangerous.
The report noted the black vape market has seen a massive 100-fold increase since 2020. Respondents identified peer pressure (84 per cent), cheaper prices (82 per cent), and lack of age checks (80 per cent) as the main reasons young people turn to illegal vapes.
Prohibition policies don’t cut demand
Other countries are seeing the same pattern, showing that prohibition-style policies don’t cut demand but simply push people to the black market. In Australia, a pharmacy-only model was introduced last year, but fewer than 8,000 therapeutic vapes are sold legally each month compared with 1.7 million adults who vape nationwide.
Former police investigator Rohan Pike warned that “the government’s policy is failing” and “the legal product, with all its regulations, is losing the battle against the illicit product.”
Mary Glindon MP, Chair of the Responsible Vaping All-Party Parliamentary Group, said: “The law requires age verification at the point of sale, but this does not completely prevent young people from obtaining vapes – children and teenagers will still find ways to access these products.
“Focusing on restricting flavours, packaging, and display in shops will help reduce the appeal, but the biggest problem is how easy it is for teenagers to access vapes through the widespread availability in shops, online, or through the alarming influx of illicit vapes into the marketplace.
“I’ve advocated continuous age verification not just at the point of sale but at the point of use. This means that even if a child gets hold of a vape, they cannot use it.”
IKE Tech’s report concludes that by fostering collaboration between industry, regulators, retailers, educators and public health advocates, smarter safeguards can be put in place to keep youth vaping rates down without repeating the mistakes of prohibition.
