Measly £200 fines for selling vapes to kids are far too low – and the maximum should be tens of thousands, Labour told
Measly £200 fines for selling vapes to kids are far too low – and the maximum should be tens of thousands, Labour told
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GREEDY retailers who sell vapes to kids should be fined up to tens of thousands of pounds, Britain’s biggest tobacco firm has demanded. Imperial Brands warned Labour’s proposals of £200 on-the-spot penalties - rising to a £2,500 maximum - are too low and should be toughened to form a proper deterrent. The firm believes ministers should learn from New Zealand’s hardline stance where the starting punishment is £930 - with the maximum increasing to £47,000 for the worst offences.
![[Schoolboy vaping.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/22b9c39f-f302-42b2-a239-788c30345bf6.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
Vape manufacturers are increasingly calling for harsher penalties on underage sales because bad behaviour raises the prospect of further anti-tobacco regulations. Wes Streeting’s Tobacco and Vapes Bill already threatens to hurt the e-cig sector - worth £18billion globally - by banning certain flavours that appeal to children. Imperial - which makes Blu vapes - wants the Health Secretary to follow their Kiwi counterparts in ramping up fines.
James Hall, the FTSE firm’s anti-illicit trade lead, said: “The New Zealand government has recognised that tougher action against illicit sales needs to be matched with higher fines, and the UK Government should follow suit. “As a responsible vape manufacturer, Imperial Brands has long supported both an increased penalty for retailers caught selling underage vapes, and greater investment in Trading Standards to enforce these rules.”.
Council leaders have also demanded tougher fines amid fears some retailers will happily take the punishment as they can pocket more selling to kids. The controversial legislation will also give ministers powers to ban sweet flavours targeted at kids, like candy floss and bubble gum. While a useful tool for smokers to quit cigarettes, the Department for Health says vapes still carry harm and addiction risks especially for kids.
It warns: “The long-term harms of colours and flavours when inhaled are unknown, but they are highly unlikely to be beneficial. “However, due to the branding and promotion of vapes to children, youth vaping has more than doubled in the last 5 years and 25 per cent of children have tried vaping in 2023.”. Disposable vapes will be banned outright from June, meaning users will have to switch to refillable devices.
