VAPES SOLD ILLEGALLY TO KIDS

Exposed: Half of shops tested sell killer nicotine devices to girl of 13

- NICK SOMMERLAD

ALMOST half of the shops tested in an undercover investigation sold nicotine vapes to a girl aged 13.

She was even able to buy super-sized vapes that are illegal to sell to adults. A campaigner said: "It's the Wild West out there".

Deadly nicotine sold to girl of 13

Haul of products undercover shopper bought from stores

A GIRL aged just 13 holds a haul of vapes - containing as much nicotine as is found in 100 cigarettes - that she bought from shops in one day.

It is illegal to sell any nicotine vapes to under-18s.

The Mirror's undercover shopper visited 16 retailers in Manchester and almost half sold her vapes containing the highly addictive drug.

And some even allowed her to buy super-sized vapes that are not even legal to sell to adults in this country.

The trade association for vape sellers lashed out at law-breaking retailers and called on the Government to take "drastic action" to tackle them.

Deborah Arnott, of campaign group Action on Smoking and Health, told the Mirror "it's the Wild West out there".

The rates of underage vaping doubled last year according to an ASH study, which found that 7% of 11 to 17-year-olds were "current users".

There is also concern about illegal-sized vapes, with the Chartered Trading Standards Institute saying about 33% of vape products on shelves break UK laws.

In the Mirror's undercover probe, four retailers sold the girl vapes with 3,500 or more puffs - which contain up to five times the legal amount of nicotine for as little as £10.

Three more shops sold her regular disposable nicotine vapes, with some retailers offering her discounts and only one of the seven that sold her nicotine vapes even asked if she was 18.