Who has the power to tackle underage vaping?
Vaping has become increasingly common among young people over the last decade, with 77% of underage vapers saying it is easy to access vapes, despite legal age restrictions on sales. Nearly one in five (19%) 11 to 17-year-olds have tried vaping, according to a national study.1
This year, the Government passed the Tobacco and Vapes Act, which will introduce new licensing requirements for retailers and stricter rules on packaging and flavours of vapes to reduce their appeal to children. While these measures have been welcomed, concerns persist over the capacity of enforcement teams to implement them effectively.
There are also growing concerns about the risks posed to young people by illicit vaping products, with recent research finding up to one in four vapes confiscated from schools contained the synthetic drug ‘spice’.
The London Assembly Health Committee will tomorrow examine whether London's stretched enforcement teams have the resources to crack down on illegal sales.
Members will also explore the wider health impacts of vape use on young people’s developing lungs and brains and what further action the Mayor, local boroughs and the Government could take to better tackle the scale of the issue.
Guests will include:
Panel 1 (14:00 – 15:25)
- Kevin Fenton, CBE Regional Public Health Director and Health Advisor to the Mayor of London
- John Waldron, Policy and Public Affairs Manager, ASH (Action for Smoking and Health)
- Dr Abigail Whitehouse, Paediatric Respiratory Consultant, Centre for Applied Respiratory Research Innovation and Impact
Panel 2 (15:30 – 17:00)
- John Herriman, Chief Executive, Chartered Trading Standards Institute
- Trish Burls, Trading Standards Food and Safety Manager, Croydon Trading Standards
- Stuart Radnedge, Regional Coordinator, London Trading Standards
- Denise Power, Trading Standards Lead, London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham
The meeting will take place in the Committee Rooms 2&3 at City Hall on Thursday 3 September 2026 at 2pm.
Media and members of the public are invited to attend.
The meeting can also be viewed LIVE or later via webcast or YouTube.
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Notes to editors
- ASH, Use of vapes (e-cigarettes) among young people in Great Britain, July 2026
- Krupesh Hirani AM, Chair of the Health Committee, is available for interview.
- Find out more about the work of the Health Committee.
- Read the agenda in full.
- As well as investigating issues that matter to Londoners, the London Assembly acts as a check and a balance on the Mayor.
For more information, please contact Daniel Zikmund in the Assembly Media Office on 07860647577 or [email protected]. For out of hours media enquiries please call 020 7983 4000 and ask for the Assembly duty press officer.