Up to one in five retailers are selling vapes to kids in Scotland
September 3, 2025
Photo: iStock
Ongoing work by Trading Standards Officers in Scotland testing sellers of tobacco and vapes has found that 1 in 7 premises visited sold cigarettes, and 1 in 5 sold vapes to an under 18 volunteer.
The Society of Chief Officers of Trading Standards in Scotland (SCOTSS) said these are significantly worse results than expected and may in large part be caused by the child appealing nature of vapes, and their wide availability in shops and service premises.
Last year, officers with young volunteers attempted 662 test purchases of vapes and 251 test purchases of tobacco at premises across Scotland with 131 failures for vapes, and 36 failures for tobacco, where sales were made to under 18s. In total 263 fixed penalties were issued by Trading Standards Officers.
“These results are very concerning and we will be stepping up efforts this year to support sellers with advice and continue to take enforcement action where sellers break the law,” Alexandra Connell, chair of SCOTSS, commented.
Key 2024–25 Outcomes
- Premises selling Nicotine Vaping Products: 4,755 (60% increase since 2018/19)
- Test purchases: 662 (13.9% of premises, meeting KPI)
- Failure rate: 19.8% (up from 16.9% in 2023/24)
- Penalty notices: 217 issued (record level)
- Advice visits: 2,006 (42.2% of premises, exceeding KPI)
A full report can be found on the SCOTSS website here.
