Skip to content
Search
AI Powered
Latest Stories

New pilot project to tackle underage vaping launched in Tunbridge Wells

New pilot project to tackle underage vaping launched in Tunbridge Wells
Mike Martin (R), MP for Tunbridge Wells, at the launch of Local Vape Action pilot project in Tunbridge Wells (Photo: x.com/ThreshedThought)

A new initiative to address underage vape sales has been launched on Friday in Tunbridge Wells as part of a Local Vape Action (LVA) pilot project.

Local Vape Action is a partnership approach to tackling vaping issues at a local level. It brings together local authority partners as well as the vape sector via the Independent British Vape Trade Association (IBVTA), to identify and target specific areas.


The pilot, a collaboration between Kent Trading Standards, Kent Police, Kent Community Safety, public health representatives, and the IBVTA, aims to combat illegal underage vape sales through targeted action and engagement.

“We welcome the opportunity to work alongside responsible retailers and the Independent British Vape Trade Association (IBVTA) with the introduction of the pilot project ‘Local Vape Action’ in Tunbridge Wells,” Clair Bell, Kent County Council cabinet member for community and regulatory services, said.

“This is a positive additional step to the work we are already doing and will contribute to raising compliance and creating a level playing field. The LVA project will enable a complementary approach, combining the trade and regulators to focus on providing a more robust support network to the retail sector, reducing the confusion around products that can be sold, and strengthen the safeguards to ensure children are not sold any device.”

Cllr Astra Birch, Tunbridge Wells Borough Council cabinet member for housing & communities, added: “I’m really pleased Tunbridge Wells is at the forefront of this initiative and I’m grateful to Kent County Council for running the pilot in our busy town where there are a lot of outlets selling vapes.

“Aside from the health benefits that will come from a better understanding around the use and sale of vapes, there are huge sustainability issues with single use plastic and the batteries they contain. I hope to see a broader roll-out of the programme following a successful pilot project here in Tunbridge Wells.”

The three-month pilot will involve a series of activities, including retailer engagement and compliance checks, to ensure that vaping products are only sold to adults. More than 80 vape retailers in Tunbridge Wells will be visited by trading standards officers to assess their compliance with age-verification policies and product regulations.

The findings from this pilot will inform the rollout of a national LVA initiative planned for 2025.

Gillian Golden, chief executive of the IBVTA,said: “The launch of the Local Vape Action pilot in Tunbridge Wells provides an excellent opportunity to bring collective knowledge and expertise together to deliver on a comprehensive programme of action to tackle the well-documented issues that undermine a responsible vape sector. We are therefore delighted to be working with partners from across Kent in delivering this first pilot project and take those learnings forward into the development of the national LVA.”

Mike Martin, MP for Tunbridge Wells, has voiced his support for the pilot project.

“Bringing together regulators and local authorities, to address this issue head-on, is crucial to ensure retailers are operating responsibly and meeting their legal obligations. It represents a vital step in protecting our young people and fostering a safer, healthier environment for all residents of Tunbridge Wells,” Martin said.

“I look forward to seeing the positive impact this pilot will have and hope it sets the standard for similar projects across the country.”

More for you

A woman enters the Selfridges department store

A woman enters the Selfridges department store on December 13, 2024 in London, England

Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images

Retail faces mixed fortunes in 2025 amid cost pressures, AI opportunities, and high street revival


The UK retail sector is bracing for a challenging but opportunity-filled 2025, according to Jacqui Baker, head of retail at RSM UK. While the industry grapples with rising costs and heightened crime, advancements in artificial intelligence and a revival of the high street offer potential pathways to growth, she said.

Keep ReadingShow less
unsafe soft drinks seized in Southend

Unsafe soft drinks seized in Southend

Photo: Southend-on-Sea City Council

1,100 unsafe soft drinks seized in Southend safety crackdown

Southend-on-Sea City Council officials have secured food condemnation orders from Chelmsford Magistrates Court, resulting in the seizure and destruction of 1,100 unauthorised soft drinks.

The condemned drinks, including Mountain Dew, 7-UP, Mirinda, and G Fuel energy drinks, were found during routine inspections of food businesses across Southend by the council’s environmental health officers.

Keep ReadingShow less
Charity Super.Mkt at Brent Cross Shopping centre in north London

A customer browses clothes inside Charity Super.Mkt at Brent Cross Shopping centre in north London on, December 17, 2024

Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images

Brits kindle Christmas spirit with second-hand gifts

Bursting with customers one afternoon the week before Christmas, a second-hand charity shop in London's Marylebone High Street looked even busier than the upscale retailers surrounding it.

One man grabbed two puzzle sets and a giant plush toy as a present for friends, another picked out a notebook for his wife.

Keep ReadingShow less
Nothing is more important than your Mental Elf

Nothing is more important than your Mental Elf

Lancashire Mind’s 11th Mental Elf fun run was its biggest and best yet – a sell-out event with more than 400 people running and walking in aid of the mental charity, plus dozens more volunteering to make the day a huge success.

The winter sun shone on Worden Park in Leyland as families gathered for either a 5K course, a 2K run, or a Challenge Yours’Elf distance which saw many people running 10K with the usual running gear replaced with jazzy elf leggings, tinsel and Christmas hats.

Keep ReadingShow less
A woman walks past a window display promoting an ongoing sale

A woman walks past a window display promoting an ongoing sale, on December 13, 2024 in London, England.

Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images

Retail sales disappoint before Christmas

UK retail sales rose less than expected in the runup to Christmas, according to official data Friday that deals a fresh blow to government hopes of growing the economy.

Separate figures revealed a temporary reprieve for prime minister Keir Starmer, however, as public borrowing fell sharply in November.

Keep ReadingShow less