New and innovative approaches to tackling illegal tobacco and vape sales could be adopted under proposals designed to protect consumers across North Yorkshire.
Our executive is being asked to approve a revised policy for the county’s trading standards team, reflecting significant changes in national legislation and the need for new approaches to address the growing range of threats to residents and legitimate businesses.
If supported at the meeting on Tuesday next week (27 October), the updated framework will help the council’s officers respond more effectively to issues ranging from underage tobacco and vape sales to online scams and rogue traders.
The policy would introduce the use of fixed penalty notices for certain offences under the Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026, alongside existing enforcement options, including prosecution, where businesses deliberately break the law, particularly when selling tobacco or vape products to children.
It also formally recognises innovative work carried out by the National Trading Standards e-Crime Team, which is jointly hosted in North Yorkshire with City of York Council.
The team works with online platforms and service providers to remove misleading websites and content that can leave consumers out of pocket. This approach is helping tackle websites operating from overseas that falsely present themselves as legitimate UK businesses, often selling poor quality or misdescribed goods or failing to deliver products altogether.
The proposed policy comes at a time when trading standards services across the country are tackling an increasingly complex range of issues. National figures show that more than 1.19 million illegal vapes were seized in England during 2023 and 2024, while almost a quarter of test purchases resulted in vapes being sold unlawfully to children.
Executive member for managing our environment, Cllr Richard Foster, whose responsibilities include trading standards, said: “Our trading standards team play a vital role in protecting residents, supporting honest businesses and helping to ensure our communities remain safe places to live, work and shop.
“This proposed updated policy provides a clear and transparent framework for enforcement, ensuring we can respond effectively to emerging challenges while taking a fair and proportionate approach.
“By targeting those who deliberately flout the law and protecting consumers from harm, we are helping to create a level playing field for responsible businesses and safeguarding some of the most vulnerable members of our communities.”
The proposed revised policy also aligns with the council's wider enforcement strategy and supports priorities to keep people safe, healthy and living well while helping communities and businesses to thrive.
The report to the executive can be viewed or downloaded as a PDF here.