Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of penalties for the illegal sale of vaping products on those sales.

Trading Standards officers currently have a range of enforcement tools at their disposal to enforce age of sale restrictions and to take a proportionate approach to enforcement that reflects the severity of the offence committed. When necessary, this includes prosecuting offenders, which can result in a court imposed fine of up to £2,500, and, in the case of repeat offences, an application for a restricted premises order or restricted sale order. £200 fixed penalty notices, introduced by the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, will complement existing sanctions and support Trading Standards to crack down on retailers selling to underage people.

We will complete a post-implementation review of the measures in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill in due course.

The sale and supply of single use vapes was banned on 1 June 2025. If a retailer repeatedly sells single use vapes, they can be charged with an unlimited fine, or a prison sentence of up to two years. We will work with enforcement agencies to monitor the impact and effectiveness of the ban, including the impact of the penalties.