Trading Standard chiefs say there is still “work to do” to crackdown on the number of youngsters being sold vapes on the high street.
Concerns have grown about children as young as 12 are being sold or being able to get their hands on cheap, brightly-coloured vapes.
The issue has become a top worry for Trading Standard officials who help enforce regulations and offer advice to retailers along with the sale of many illegal vapes.
Hundreds of thousands of these products have been seized up and down Scotland.
NHS Grampian has issued a warning that many of these products are dangerous – especially to young people.
Businesses in Aberdeen receive penalty notices and warnings
Businesses selling vapes legally have to register for free with the Scottish Government and in Aberdeen, there are over 150 businesses selling the products.
While this may seem like a high number, this is still less than the 240 shops selling tobacco in the city.
Del Henderson, principal trading standards officer in Aberdeen, said these issues of illegal products and selling to under-18s had become a main priority since vapes exploded in popularity.
“Part of our role is we enforce the sale of vapes and cigarettes to under 18,” she said. “We also enforce product safety regulation relating to the vapes themselves.
“What is really means is we actually put quite a lot of resource into this. If a new business pops up on the register, we actively go out and give advice to them.
“We’d maybe examine their stock and give advice on underage sales.”
Police attempt to illegally buy vapes with teenage volunteers
In the UK, only those over the aged of 18 can buy vapes or e-cigarettes and certain chemicals and ingredients are banned.
The Scottish Government also asks officers to attempt so many purchases a year at retailers stocking vapes using 17 and 18-year-old volunteers to see if an ID is requested.
In Aberdeen since April 2022, 45 attempts were made.
From these, seven shops made sales to those under 18 and two of the businesses were issued with fixed penalty notices. The other business and employees received written warnings.
“We don’t do that lightly,” Ms Henderson added.
“We just try and help keep the businesses right it’s not necessarily easy so we just keep giving them advice and offering advice.
“Our job is to help them comply with the law we don’t want to get them in trouble. We want businesses to flourish and to comply with the law. It’s better for us it’s better for the city. ”
More than 600 illegal vapes seized in Aberdeen
Vape laws also state warnings of ingredients must appear on the packaging, and must be childproof. Nicotine levels also must not be higher than a certain level.
Ms Henderson said problems with illegal vapes have also become a huge issue.
“We also look for illegal vapes since the disposable ones first appeared,” the Aberdeen resident added. “In the last year we seized approximately 600 vapes from shops across the city.”
These problems are being experienced across the country with officers in Moray, Aberdeenshire and the Highlands facing similar issues.
NHS Grampian issues health warning
Kevin Leslie, a senior public health practitioner for NHS Grampian has issued a warning.
He said: “It is not clear as there is a lack of studies, but pathways in the brain of children can be created which can lead to problems later in life.
“The problem with vapes is that we just don’t know how inhaling these flavours and substances effects people in the long term.
“Vapes are a good alternative for people who have been smoking tobacco, but not for young people who do not have a habit of smoking.”
‘Not designed for children’
David MacKenzie, chairman of the Society of Chief Officers of Trading Standards in Scotland, said the vapes are “not designed for children at all”.
While recent legislation has put restrictions on the marketing of vape products and has forbidden selling them to children, Inverness-based Mr MacKenzie said many issues remain.
Speaking on BBC’s Good Morning Scotland, Mr MacKenzie said: “We really don’t see why they have to be brightly coloured and flavoured and it seems to us clearly appealing to children and to others who don’t need them and shouldn’t be using them.
“We would see vapes as being treated in the same way (as cigarettes).
“More laws and regulation is planned and we’d certainly welcome that because this is a concern.
“Our trading officers up and down Scotland have done a lot of good work on this but there’s a lot more still to do because they are so widespread and so popular these products.
“There’s a place for it and a limited place for it as a smoking cessation device but absolutely not as a lifestyle device and absolutely not for children.”
Conversation