Nearly 250 businesses had stock seized by Kent Trading Standards.
Oliver Leader de Saxe reports.
Oliver Leader de Saxe reports.
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00:00Cigarettes, vapes, nicotine pouches. They're everywhere on the streets of Kent and increasingly
00:08there are fears that the products being sold aren't meeting legal requirements. With Kent
00:15trading standards seizing illicit tobacco and nicotine products from nearly 250 businesses
00:23from across the county since January 2023. But despite hundreds of businesses selling
00:31products that flaunt regulations that keep consumers safe, not a single one has faced
00:39closure as a result.
00:42Everybody always asks us how many of you closed down. As an authority we don't have that power.
00:47If the new legislation were to provide something like that then we could deal with those harder
00:53retailers under one piece of legislation. So for us to go in, disrupt, to engage with
01:01the business, to get them compliant is a much better use of our time to actually ensure
01:09that that business is selling the correct product to the correct people. But you're
01:13right until that final action is taken that business can carry on.
01:18Kent trading standards told us they believed around 90% of businesses they seize products
01:23from are unintentionally breaking the rules. Pointing out that a local vape action pilot
01:30being undertaken in Tunbridge Wells has seen illegal vape sales drop since its launch last
01:37year after they worked with dozens of retailers to ensure they're meeting their legal obligations.
01:46Trading standards is the pointy end of the stick. So they're the ones who are going out
01:50and speaking to the retailers and businesses and assessing whether or not they're doing
01:56the right thing. And if they don't have the powers to issue substantial fines or more
02:05importantly to close down those retailers who aren't doing things properly then they
02:10definitely should have more powers to do that.
02:13There are plans in the works to empower these local regulatory bodies with the tobacco and
02:18vapes bill set to be voted on later this week. At the moment vapes are not a licensed product
02:25so no you cannot go in there on behalf of trading standards and you can't close these
02:30premises down. That is about to change in the new tobacco and vapes legislation but
02:35it won't be an immediate closure. There's going to be a series of steps taken if you
02:39are caught selling inappropriately or to a minor. But if businesses persist in breaking
02:46the rules that are going to be introduced it will lead to a loss of licence which means
02:50you won't be able to sell the product.
02:52But with so many businesses selling illegal nicotine products, intentionally or not, working
03:00with retailers is one of the only solutions available for the immediate future, even for
03:09repeat offenders. Oliver Leader, The Sacks, for KMTV.