London Assembly underage vaping investigation: what the evidence call means for vape retail licensing

The London Assembly Health Committee has opened a new evidence call on underage vaping in London. For adult vape retailers and compliance-minded readers, the short answer is this: London has not introduced a new local vape retail licence overnight, but the investigation matters because it is asking councils, Trading Standards and other expert bodies what is happening on the ground before England's future retail licensing framework is fully worked through.

The investigation page was published by the London Assembly on 21 July 2026, and written evidence is requested by 30 September 2026, according to the Assembly's Underage Vaping in London page and the Committee's call for evidence PDF. The public-interest point is not that lawful adult-only vape retailing is being treated as the same thing as illicit sales. It is that local evidence may influence how enforcement, resourcing and licensing recommendations are shaped in London.

The London Assembly Health Committee's investigation is titled Underage Vaping in London. Its terms of reference say the Committee wants to assess the extent, prevalence and impact of underage vaping in London; examine what boroughs are doing about underage vape sales; consider the likely impact and implementation challenges of the Tobacco and Vapes Act; explore attitudes; and look at what more the Mayor, Government and boroughs could do. Those terms are set out on the London Assembly's investigation page.

The call is aimed at evidence-giving organisations and professionals rather than consumers looking for general advice. The Committee lists public health agencies, health professionals, academics, schools and education bodies, charities, advocacy groups, local authorities, Trading Standards and licensing professionals among the groups invited to respond in writing. The PDF asks respondents to email evidence to scrutiny@london.gov.uk with the subject line 'Health Committee call for evidence' by 30 September 2026.

The Committee also explains that responses will inform its investigation and recommendations, and that submissions and names are normally published unless confidentiality or anonymity is requested and accepted, or there is another legal or safeguarding reason. Anyone preparing evidence should read the Assembly's instructions directly before submitting.

Local authority evidence matters because borough teams and Trading Standards officers are closest to the operational detail: test purchasing, complaints, seizures, local retail patterns, repeat issues and enforcement capacity. That kind of evidence can show where the system is working, where responsible retailers are already maintaining strong controls, and where illicit or non-compliant sales are creating enforcement pressure.

For adult vape retailers, the important distinction is between lawful retailing to adults and the specific issues the Committee is investigating. A responsible retailer should not read the evidence call as an accusation against the whole sector. It is better understood as a sign that local delivery is now central to the national policy conversation.

Selling nicotine inhaling products to anyone under 18 is already prohibited under the Nicotine Inhaling Products (Age of Sale and Proxy Purchasing) Regulations 2015. That is the starting point for this article. The London Assembly call is not the reason age checks matter; age-restricted sales are already part of current law.

For adult retailers, the editorial takeaway is practical rather than dramatic: make the basic compliance evidence easy to show. That means the systems behind the counter matter as much as the wording on a shop sign.

This is general editorial guidance, not legal advice. Retailers should rely on the legislation, official guidance and qualified advisers when making compliance decisions.

The wider reason this London investigation matters is the Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026. The Act is now on the statute book, and it changes the enforcement conversation even where detailed implementation is still to come. For a fuller overview of the Act, see our guide to UK vape laws in 2026.

For England, section 16 of the Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026 creates a prohibition on retail sales of tobacco products and related products without a licence, with the retail licensing scheme covered in Schedule 1. The careful wording matters: the Act creates the legal framework, but operational detail such as the application process, licence conditions, fees and exact start timing depends on regulations and consultation.

GOV.UK's Royal Assent announcement says the Act includes stronger enforcement powers and the ability to implement a retail licensing scheme to tackle illicit tobacco and vape sales (GOV.UK, 29 April 2026). It also records the Local Government Association's view that councils need proper resources for enforcement. That resourcing point links directly to the kind of evidence the London Assembly is now seeking from local government and Trading Standards professionals.

For business preparation, the sensible approach is to focus on evidence trails. Our previous article on Trading Standards' Tobacco and Vapes Act training covers why staff readiness and documented processes are becoming more important as enforcement powers develop.

The likely effect for London retailers is not a sudden new licence form landing this week. It is closer attention to the systems that prove adult-only, compliant retailing.

If the Committee receives detailed evidence from boroughs and enforcement professionals, its recommendations may focus on where licensing and enforcement need practical support. That could mean scrutiny of how age checks are applied, whether refusal records are useful, how product compliance documents are stored, and how councils prioritise action against illicit or non-compliant sellers.

Retailers should avoid two mistakes. The first is complacency: assuming future licensing detail is far away and therefore irrelevant. The second is overreaction: treating every policy discussion as if all details are already law. The Act points towards a stronger licensing and enforcement framework, but the remaining details still need to be set through the proper regulatory process.

There is also a wider UK context. Scotland already has a retailer registration system, which we covered in What Scotland's vape retailer register means in 2026. England's route is not identical, and the details still matter, but the direction of travel is clear enough for retailers to organise their compliance records now.

The London Assembly evidence call is separate from the Department of Health and Social Care's July 2026 consultation on tobacco and vapes packaging, appearance and display. The consultation covers proposals on vape and nicotine product packaging, vape appearance and shop display, and it closes at 11.59pm on 2 October 2026, according to GOV.UK.

That consultation should not be confused with settled law. It is relevant because it shows the same broad regulatory direction: age-restricted products, retail presentation, enforcement and local delivery are being looked at together. For responsible retailers, the practical response is the same: keep records clear, avoid assumptions, and follow primary-source updates rather than industry rumour.

The London Assembly evidence call is a sign that enforcement questions are moving from national law into local delivery. The legal baseline is already clear: nicotine vape sales are 18+ only. The unresolved question is how licensing, local authority capacity and enforcement powers will work in practice as the Tobacco and Vapes Act framework develops.

For adult consumers, the straightforward takeaway is to buy only from responsible retailers that apply age checks and stock compliant products. For retailers, the practical move is to make evidence trails, age-verification procedures, staff training and product records easy to show before the final licensing detail is settled.

Anyone with relevant professional or local-authority evidence should read the London Assembly's instructions carefully before the 30 September 2026 deadline. The most useful evidence will be factual, specific and grounded in real compliance or enforcement experience.