ILLEGAL vape sales to underage teenagers across the North have doubled over the past year, with the highest number of cases being reported in Belfast.
A new report highlights that, on average, a report was received of a sale of vapes to underage teenagers once every three days, with many more sales almost certainly going unreported.
The data was compiled using Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to 138 local authorities around the North, England, Scotland and Wales and noted there had been a 55 per cent increase in fines issued to businesses caught selling vaping products to underage people compared to the previous year.
Currently, only the North and Scotland can issue on-the-spot fines for perpetrators.
Councils here issued a total of £14,125 worth of fines to those caught selling vapes to children last year, with the largest number of fines being issued by Belfast City Council.
The report further found that Liverpool City Council had issued the most fines regarding the sale of illegal and underage vapes, with Belfast City Council coming in second, having issued 46 such fines over the last year.
The report highlighted Belfast City Council had fined all 77 perpetrators caught selling vapes to underaged people since recording began in 2020.
Findings also included that there had been a 65 per cent increase since 2022 in confirmed cases of businesses unlawfully selling vaping products to underage persons, with 61 perpetrators caught in 2023.
In 2024 so far there’s been a 55 per cent increase in fines issued to businesses caught selling vaping products to underage people.
