Teens can ‘easily’ buy vapes and lip filler on the high street, investigation finds
Underage consumers are “easily” accessing age-restricted products and services on the high street, including nicotine e-cigarettes and even plastic surgery, an investigation has found.
Which secret research shows that young people can routinely purchase these products without being asked to show identification. to create.
Underage customers aged between 14 and 17 were sent into high street stores with hidden cameras to film the finds.
The minors visited eight shops selling electronic cigarettes on a busy London high street; five of them sold nicotine e-cigarettes to themselves. Some did not ask for ID, some did, but they sold the product anyway after the shoppers said they did not have it with them.
Under current law, it is illegal to sell nicotine e-cigarettes to children and those who do so face a £2,500 fine.
In one case, a 17-year-old girl was able to book a lip filler appointment without presenting identification. The mystery shopper was then counseled for the procedure without ever having to prove her age.
In the UK, it is illegal to give botox or lip fillers to people under the age of 18, even with parental or guardian permission. It is also an offense to arrange or make an appointment for the provision of these treatments to a person under the age of 18.
Sue Davies, Which? The Head of Consumer Protection Policy said: “It shouldn’t be this easy for a 14-year-old to walk into a shop and buy an e-cigarette, or for a 17-year-old to book a lip filler appointment. “Unfortunately rogue businesses up and down the country increasingly feel they can break the law because they are less likely to be caught or face serious consequences.
“The need for effective consumer protection is greater than ever. While Trading Standards are under serious pressure, gaps in enforcement leave consumers, including underage customers, more exposed to harm.
“Which? calls on the government to restructure the consumer enforcement system to ensure it can deal effectively with national and local risks, with better intelligence sharing, stronger oversight and clearer accountability.”
Many local Trading Standards offices face recruitment challenges; Insufficient funding and stagnant staff turnover make the implementation of consumer protection even more difficult.
The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI), a membership body for trading standards professionals, says spending on trading standards services has fallen by more than 50 per cent in the last decade and staffing levels have fallen by 30 per cent over the same period.
A fifth of Trading Standards teams (36 out of 187) reported no criminal prosecutions in the 2023-24 financial year. Another 25 reported only one criminal prosecution.
CTSI Chief Executive John Herriman said: “As the reorganization and devolution of Local Government continues across England, it is time to take action to promote, protect and invest in what matters: a local service that serves the consumer, honest business, economy and public health across the UK.
“Without sufficient investment in Trading Standards, we will continue to see unsafe, dangerous goods flooding the market, short-order purchases of goods, unsafe food, disease outbreaks affecting both livestock and pets, an increase in doorstep crime, fraud and scams and much more.”
