Vaping, the act of inhaling vapour produced by an electronic cigarette or similar device, has a relatively short history compared to traditional tobacco smoking.
The concept of vaping can be traced back to the early 20th century when inventors like Joseph Robinson and Herbert Gilbert patented devices that aimed to produce flavoured vapour instead of smoke. However, these early attempts didn’t gain much popularity.
The sale of vapes to underage children involves a combination of legal regulations, age verification measures, and educational efforts.
Here are some steps that can be taken:-
Legal Regulations
Enforce and strengthen existing laws that restrict the sale of vapes to minors
This might include age restrictions, licensing requirements for online vape retailers, and penalties for non-compliance.
Age verification, implement robust age verification systems on websites and online marketplaces that sell vapes.
This can include using age verification software, requiring photo ID uploads, or integrating with government databases to confirm the buyer’s age.
Restricted Shipping
This can include collaborating with shipping companies to ensure they don’t deliver vaping products to underage individuals by implementing a system where couriers check the age of the recipient upon delivery.
Education
This includes launching public awareness campaigns to educate parents, teachers, and young people about the dangers of vaping and the legal restrictions in place.
Also, open discussions on the topic should be encouraged.
Industry Cooperation
This entails working with vaping product manufacturers and online platforms to encourage responsible marketing and sales practices. Encourage self-regulation within the industry.
Penalties and Enforcement
Enforce strict penalties for retailers who sell to minors online, and regularly monitor and crack down on illegal online sales.
Community Involvement
Involve communities and parents in the effort to prevent underage vaping by promoting local initiatives and support groups.
Technology Solutions
Explore the use of advanced age verification technologies, such as biometric authentication, to enhance the accuracy of online age checks.
Preventing the online sale of vapes to underage children is a multi-faceted challenge that requires cooperation from various stakeholders, including governments, online retailers, and the community.
Legal Regulations
Enforce and strengthen existing laws that restrict the sale of vapes to minors. This might include age restrictions, licensing requirements for online vape retailers, and penalties for non-compliance.
Tips on quality vapes
How do I know if my vape is original?
Packaging/labels – Vape devices have very strict guidelines that determine what is on the box. All disposable vapes that contain nicotine will have a nicotine warning on the packet. Also, look for clear easy-to-read text, serial numbers and clear expiry dates.
What are the signs of fake vaping?
Bleeding gums, mouth sores and bad breath are also potential side effects of using counterfeit vape products.
Some harmful products in counterfeit vape products can cause damage to the smallest airways of your lungs.
Can you taste a fake vape?
A fake device will likely have a highly distorted taste that’ll be much more bitter and rugged than what a genuine product should taste like.
Written and compiled by vapezafrica- Kenya.
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