Vaping products should be put out of sight to crack down on selling to children, say council leaders.
The Local Government Association (LGA) is calling for strict new measures to regulate the display and marketing of vaping products in the same way as tobacco.
It says there has been a sharp increase in incidents where shops have been caught selling vapes to youngsters and councils have had to step in.
Councils are especially concerned by the marketing of vapes with fruity and bubble gum flavours and colourful child-friendly packaging.
To help stop children from being able to access vapes, the LGA is calling for vaping products to be treated in the same way as tobacco, in plain packaging and with age-of-sale signage.
It says there should be a ban on free samples of vaping products being given out to people of any age.
Sanctions for breaching these rules should also be the same as penalties handed out under tobacco display regulations.
David Fothergill, chairman of the LGA’s community wellbeing board, said: ‘The evidence suggests that vaping is by no means risk-free, and so it is very alarming that young people are getting access to and using e-cigarettes.
‘This is why we are calling for tougher and stricter regulation of vaping products to tackle the growing cases of children getting hold of them.’
