- Request
-
I would like to receive information on the following questions for your local authority area, spanning the past five years in total up to the latest available data.
1. How many reports has your local authority received concerning underage vape sales?
2. How many confirmed cases of businesses unlawfully selling vaping products to underage persons have been identified, either through test purchasing or other means?
3. How many warnings have been issued to businesses caught selling vaping products to underage persons?
4. How many license reviews, fines or penalties have been issued to businesses caught selling vaping products to underage persons?
5. What is the total value of fines or penalties issued (GBP), to businesses caught selling vaping products to underage persons?
If available for each of the above data points, please provide data specifying the business premises category unlawfully selling vapes to underage persons.
Specifically:
- Convenience shop
- Physical vape shop
- Fuel garages/forecourts
- Market stalls
- Online marketplaces (e.g ebay)
- Social media channels
- Online vaping retailer
Please present this data annually for each of the below periods:
1st January 2023 > 31st December 2023
1st January 2022 > 31st December 2022
1st January 2021 > 31st December 2021
1st January 2020 > 31st December 2020
1st January 2019 > 31st December 2019
- Decision
-
1. The following is based on consumer complaints to Lincolnshire Trading Standards.
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2
1
0
7
53
33
2. The following is based on underage test purchasing by Lincolnshire Trading Standards
Year
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
Attempts
0
13
0
1
35
50
Sales
0
3
0
0
11
8
Refusals
0
10
0
1
24
42
3. All the above who illegally sold, received a written warning.
4.
- 2019 – three sales – all resulted in written warnings
- 2022 – 11 sales – one Home Office Caution (with other offences identified at time), one prosecution (together with other offences identified at the time), one prosecution, eight written warnings.
- 2023 – eight sales – one prosecution, four written warnings, one home office caution, two investigations commenced.
5. Fines are issued at the conclusion of a prosecution, not on the spot. £1,450.
- Reference number
- 9198629
- Date request received
- 14 March 2024
- Date of decision
- 8 April 2024