Isle of Man Ban
The Isle of Man ban on the sale of vaping products to under-18s comes into full force on 1st September and Manx retailers have been visited by Trading Standards officers
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by Dave Cross
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The Isle of Man ban on the sale of vaping products to under-18s comes into full force on 1st September and Manx retailers have been visited by Trading Standards officers. The new regulations are designed to bring the island into line with the United Kingdom, which has banned vape sales to under-18s since 2016.
The legislation to introduce stricter regulations on the sale and promotion of vaping products gained Royal Assent in May. The Vaping Products Act 2024 came into operation from Monday 27 May when the sale and supply of vaping products to under 18s was prohibited.
The Act’s new advertising restrictions and display regulations will be introduced from Sunday 1 September. This will mean that for retailers accessible to those under 18, vaping products will no longer be permitted to be on open display.
Minister for the Cabinet Office, Kate Lord-Brennan MHK who promoted the Bill said: “It is really positive to be able to put this Act into operation following Royal Assent. The new Act will finally align us with the UK's age controls on the sale of vaping products, and it will surpass UK legislation by introducing new point of sale restrictions, meaning that the display and marketing of vapes will be restricted in retailers accessible to children and young people. This is an important move for the current and future health of young people.”
In preparing the Bill, Public Health engaged with parents, retailers and school leaders and work will continue with them to develop resources to support those who need it.
The Isle of Man government says: “Vaping and e-cigarettes can be a particularly helpful way to stop smoking tobacco especially when combined with a specialist face to face support. Although experts say they are not entirely risk free, they are at least 95% less harmful than tobacco.”
It claims the measures are necessary because “vaping in young people is growing”, but the latest ASH figures shows precisely the opposite.
“While there is no specific data for the Isle of Man, the assumption is that vaping in young people in the Island is also on the rise and engagement with teenagers in the Isle of Man shows that we have a high prevalence of young people who vape,” the Government speculates – the opposite of evidence-based policy formation.
Retailers on the island have told visiting Trading Standards officers that they do not foresee any issues with complying with the law.
Elected as a Member of Tynwald to represent constituents in the House of Keys in 2021, Tim Glover took up the post after a 25-year career in the media commenting on the TT race for Manx Radio and working as a news editor.
With responsibility as the Chairman of the Office for Fair Trading, Glover says all businesses have been issued with an underage warning sign. He said advice was issued about cabinets, gantry systems and cupboards that can be used to store vape products out of sight.
Isle of Man retailers will be visited for a third time during the first week of September.
Dave Cross
Journalist at POTVDave is a freelance writer; with articles on music, motorbikes, football, pop-science, vaping and tobacco harm reduction in Sounds, Melody Maker, UBG, AWoL, Bike, When Saturday Comes, Vape News Magazine, and syndicated across the Johnston Press group. He was published in an anthology of “Greatest Football Writing”, but still believes this was a mistake. Dave contributes sketches to comedy shows and used to co-host a radio sketch show. He’s worked with numerous start-ups to develop content for their websites.
