Vaping: The children going undercover to stop illegal vape sales

BBC News

a day ago

The sale and use of disposable vapes will be banned across the UK from Sunday 1 June.The ban aims to not only protect the environment but also children's health.It is illegal to sell any type of vape to anyone under the age of 18, but there have been concerns that single-use disposable vapes, which often come in colourful packaging and different flavours, have played a big role in the rise in the number of young people vaping.The NHS says at least a quarter of children aged between 11 and 15 year have tried vaping. I went to meet two children who have been working undercover with their local council to try and stop shops from selling vapes to underage people.
'My first time doing it, I was sold to twice'
To try and stop the sale of vapes to children, local councils sometimes send undercover teenagers into shops to see if they can successfully buy vapes. I spoke to two teenagers who have done this to find out how it works, we've changed their names to protect their identities.James is 15, he told me he goes into different shops with an undercover adult officer to try and buy vapes. If he manages to buy a vape he then hands it over to the officer who then questions the shop owner. He said: "Most of the time they (the shopkeepers) are on the phone, talking to someone else."I think people need to pay more attention to what they're selling and who they are selling to."Laura is 13, she said that the first time she went out undercover she was able to buy vapes twice.
'I've seen kids in year seven vaping'
The NHS found that nearly 1 in 10 children aged between 11 and 15 vape frequently.Smoking and health charity, ASH, said that in 2024 disposable single-use vapes were the most frequently used device for people aged between 11 and 17.Young people vaping is something James and Laura have noticed too."In my school it's getting such a big problem," said James. Laura agreed, she said: "I've seen kids in year 7 who are vaping, who are 11 or 12 years old."James believes the new ban will make it harder for kids to try and buy vapes. He told me that if he was in charge he would remove the flavour from them, because he thinks "that's a big part of what interests kids in wanting them".We spoke to the UK government which said that children being able to access vapes underage is a serious concern. Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Steve Reed said: "Single-use vapes are harmful not only to children's health but also to our streets and the environment."Shopkeepers now have less than one week until the ban comes in and must act now. Anyone who breaks the rules will face serious fines and even jail time."