Local Vape Action (LVA)

• LVA’s primary purpose is to support the development of effective local strategies, ensure that vapes are only used and accessed by adults in local communities, with a particular emphasis on preventing underage vaping and increasing retail compliance.
• LVA’s mission is achieved via a partnership approach embracing Education (of all vape retailers), Engagement (of the local community), Enforcement (linked to Challenge 25 policy and preventing proxy purchase) and Evaluation (of LVA projects).

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Local Vape Action (LVA) is a partnership approach to tackling vaping issues at a local level. Bringing together the vape sector via the Independent British Vape Trade Association (IBVTA)^[1] and local authority partners to identify and target specific areas. LVA’s work is inspired by the work of the Community Alcohol Partnership (CAP). LVA began with a pilot approach Tunbridge Wells as identified by local authority partners in Kent. The results of this pilot and other pilot phases, including Ashford and Maidstone will inform the ongoing development of a national LVA that is set to launch later 2026/2027, that will provide support to local LVA projects across the UK.

[1] The IBVTA is the trade organisation for all responsible and ethical independent vape businesses and represents the UK’s leading vape manufacturers, importers, distributors and retailers. The IBVTA and its members are entirely independent from the tobacco industry.

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The national LVA that will be formally launched in 2026/27 would identify local needs, facilitate the assembly of the local LVA partnership, offer start-up funding and expert advice, provide a toolkit of interventions, share best practice gathered across the national LVA network and supply a rigorous evaluation system. A key part of the support offer is the development of a team of highly skilled regional advisers whose role is to provide advice and support to local partnerships.

Each local LVA scheme or project will devise an action plan that is uniquely tailored to local need with the overarching aims to protect children and young people from vape harm and increasing compliance particularly among retailers.

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Tunbridge Wells (Kent)

• A pilot project involving local partners from trading standards, police, community safety teams, public health and the Independent British Vape Trade Association (IBVTA)[¹] was launched in September 2024. The aim and focus of the project is to address under-age vape sales through a series of interventions, supported by a communications campaign.
• The project launch focussed on engagement with retailers in the Tunbridge Wells area to introduce them to the LVA and provide branded guidance information on how to stay compliant with statutory regulations covering product compliance, under-age sales and vape takeback.
• Further visits took place during autumn 2024. This included test purchasing exercises to check retailer usage of Challenge 25. In certain instances non-compliant vapes were removed.
• The pilot also involved direct engagement with members of the community including during Community Safety Week in late October.
• Research of Tunbridge Wells residents was conducted in December 2024.
• For more information on the pilot project please contact info@localvapeaction.co.uk.

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Kent Trading Standards via their local partners agreed to focus a pilot in Tunbridge Wells. Partners include Kent police, trading standards, public health and the community safety unit along with the Independent British Vape Trade Association (IBVTA).

An LVA in Tunbridge Wells would be a positive extension of the work that Kent County Council and partners have already undertaken in tackling illegal vapes.

A project plan was developed including baseline understanding, planned engagement and interventions, communications and evaluation. Examples include:

• LVA branded guidance materials.
• Trading Standards (TS) visits to stores selling vapes
• Test purchasing and enforcement led activity
• Store pop-ups in Tunbridge Wells linked to community safety activity
• Community newsletters to local residents
• Communications to vape retailers to highlight used vape take back requirements
• LVA partner insights, supplemented by new evaluation research in December 2024.

Pilot launched in September 2024

The event in Tunbridge Wells was attended by LVA partners, along with Kent County Council Cabinet Member, Tunbridge Wells Borough Council and the MP for Tunbridge Wells.

The LVA launch received widespread media coverage from broadcast, online and trade.

Early assessment of the impact of the LVA

Following several visits to Tunbridge Wells, in December 2024 enforcement agencies reported a reduction in illegal sales of vapes.

Independent research conducted in December 2024 of 200 adults in the Tunbridge Wells area revealed that 84% supported the implementation of the LVA.

A full evaluation report was published in March 2025 and available on request via the LVA email. The LVA is also referenced on Kent County Council’s website

For more information on the LVA and the Tunbridge Wells pilot please contact info@localvapeaction.co.uk

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