Vapes and lip filler appointments easily available to children on UK’s lawless high streets, Which? investigation finds
The consumer champion sent teenagers* wearing hidden cameras into shops on the high street to try to buy vapes and book cosmetic procedures. The sale of vapes to under 18s and the arranging of an appointment for lip filler to those under 18 years are both illegal.
Despite being aged between 14 and 17, the teenagers were easily able to buy vapes and book a lip filler appointment. Some shops did ask the teens whether they were 18, but did not ask for proof of ID after they verbally confirmed they were of age.
The minors visited shops selling vapes on a busy high street in the London Borough of Lambeth. Out of eight shops visited, five happily sold nicotine vapes to the underage secret shoppers. In some cases, shops did not ask for ID at all.
On other occasions, the teenagers were asked for ID and when they said they didn’t have it with them, they were sold the vape regardless. During one of these shops, when asked for their age, the teenager said they were 18. They were then asked for ID, but said they didn’t have it. Despite not having ID, the shop then tried to upsell the teenager a deal for two vapes for £20.
Which? has reported these companies to Trading Standards. The offence of selling nicotine vapes to children carries a fine of £2,500.
It is also illegal to administer botox or lip filler to a person under 18 in England, even if they have the permission of someone of age. It’s also an offence to make arrangements or book an appointment to provide these treatments to people under 18.
One of the secret shoppers, aged 17, wasn’t checked for her ID when she went into a cosmetic store asking for a lip filler appointment. She booked in the appointment (which she did not attend), and was then given a consultation where the lip filler treatment was discussed in length - and was recorded on her hidden camera. She was not asked for proof of age checks at any point.
Which? has reported the shop to Lambeth council’s Trading Standards.
For this undercover research, Which? chose one of the boroughs with the fewest number of Trading Standards staff per 100,000 people. But the issue isn’t specific to this particular high street; across the country, Trading Standards teams are stretched too thinly to do their jobs enforcing a broad range of consumer protections and other laws properly and they cover businesses that operate nationally as well as locally.
One fifth (36 out of 187) of Trading Standards teams reported no criminal prosecutions in the 2023-24 financial year. A further 25 reported only one criminal prosecution.
Which? believes urgent and serious reform of the consumer enforcement system is needed, including a review of what Trading Standards should do and how. The hollowing out of enforcement services has left some areas with less than one Trading Standards officer per 100,000 people, often leaving stretched enforcement teams taking on large companies and sophisticated criminals with low resources.
Which? wants the government to restructure the consumer enforcement system, with more focus on its effectiveness, including a better use of intelligence data and a review of what happens nationally, regionally and at local level. Which? also wants to see greater oversight and accountability to ensure that national priorities can be delivered, while also ensuring local issues can be dealt with.
Sue Davies, Which? Head of Consumer Protection Policy, said:
"It shouldn't be this easy for a 14-year-old to walk into a shop and buy a vape, 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 unlikely to be caught or face serious consequences.
“The need for effective consumer protection is greater than ever. With Trading Standards under severe strain, gaps in enforcement are leaving consumers - including underage shoppers - more exposed to harm.
“Which? is calling for the government to restructure the consumer enforcement system to ensure that it can deal effectively with national as well as local risks, with better intelligence sharing, stronger oversight and clearer accountability.”
ENDS
Right of Replies
One of the vape shops responded to Which?, and said:
“We take the issue of underage sales extremely seriously. We were concerned to learn about your findings, as it is our policy to strictly follow all legal requirements regarding age-restricted products, including vaping products.
“We would like to clarify that all staff are instructed to request valid ID from any customer who appears under the age of 18, and we operate a Challenge 18 teenager policy in-store. If this incident occurred, it does not reflect our standards or expectations, and we will be investigating this matter internally.
“We are now taking immediate steps to reinforce our procedures, including retraining staff and ensuring stricter ID checks are consistently applied.
“We appreciate you informing us and remain committed to complying fully with the law and maintaining responsible retail practices.”
The other shops did not respond to Which?'s requests for comment by the time of publication.
Notes to Editors:
Link to Which?’s hidden camera investigation:
*The investigation was conducted in adherence to safeguarding protocols, ensuring the physical and emotional wellbeing of all underage participants was maintained under professional supervision throughout the process. The teenagers were chaperoned by Which? staff and their safety was a priority in this investigation.
Which? has reported all non-compliant shops identified in the investigation to the relevant Trading Standards authorities.
The offence of selling nicotine vapes to children is governed by The Nicotine Inhaling Products (Age of Sale and Proxy Purchasing) Regulations 2015.
About Which?
Which? is the UK’s consumer champion, empowering people to make confident choices and demand better. Through our research, investigations and product testing, we provide trusted insight and expert recommendations on the issues that matter most to consumers.
Fiercely independent, we put people over profit - shining a light on unfair practices, influencing policy and holding businesses to account to make life simpler, fairer and safer for everyone.
The information in this press release is for editorial use by journalists and media outlets only. Any business seeking to reproduce information in this release should contact the Which? Endorsement Scheme team at endorsementscheme@which.co.uk.