PARENTS worried about their children’s health are lobbying Totnes Morrisons store urging it to stop marketing vape kits at young people.

A group of King Edward VI Community College parents wants the shop to stop displaying teen-friendly vape products, with flavours such as coca-cola and bubblegum, in prominent positions.

They written to Morrisons head office and spoken to the Totnes store manager asking them to put the products behind shutters, but had no luck.

Now they are urging everyone to sign a national petition calling for tighter restrictions on companies who market vape kits to children and young people.

In a statement, Morrisons says it does not stock bubblegum flavour kits and takes care to ensure its displays are in areas of the store where there is a “strong colleague presence to deter the unwelcome attention of underage customers.”

Graham Peacock, whose 13-year-old son attends KEVICC, said: “Quite a number of parents are concerned about vaping in the town and around the school.

“On top of all that, Morrisons have decided to put a very tempting, very attractive end of aisle floor to ceiling display of vape products, with flavours like coca-cola and bubblegum, in the Totnes store.

“People say it’s not targeting children so it’s not a problem, but it absolutely is.

“There is no control over the display and marketing of vape products as there is with other nicotine-based products such as cigarettes, which you are not allowed to display.

“It’s not illegal to sell to over 18s, but do they have to wait for a change in the law to put that very obvious marketing at children behind the shutter? Morrison’s have got one, it’s called the customer service kiosk, they can easily move the vape products there.”

Graham continued: “A number of people have said there is shoplifting going on, with kids going in and stealing this stuff and then selling it to other kids in Totnes.

“Parents are concerned about the ease of availability of vaping in Totnes. There are two vape shops, they are quite legal. One has wrapped a huge great vape sign around a bollard. If I did that with a Marlborough cigarette ad, there would be a problem.

“Vaping is sold as a route to getting you off cigarettes – but we are talking about adults. It is seen as a safer alternative, but what are the constituents of vape? There is nicotine in there first and foremost, and there are a lot of other chemicals in there.

“I’m not preaching to adults because I used to smoke, but I am really, really concerned that the teenagers of today are using this product and none of us really knows what damage it will do to their lungs in a development stage.

“My son plays rugby and I don’t want him to get sidetracked with something that might impair his health or his fitness in general.”

Graham met up with KEVICC headteacher Alan Salt to urge the school to introduce a ‘zero tolerance’ to vaping on the school grounds.

Mr Salt said he had discussed the issue with the headteachers at both Dartmouth and Kingsbridge secondaries, and they all share the same concerns about young people and the popularity of vaping.

He said: “What we are most concerned about are the following points, shared by many of our parents and carers: the health impacts of vapes in the long term; we think young people are not typically substituting vaping for tobacco smoking- instead most users would not otherwise use nicotine products; we are worried nicotine vaping is paving the way for dependency for young people; and we feel that the way vapes are marketed and sold, in stores and often alongside products aimed at young people, is very concerning, and completely at odds with restrictions on tobacco.

“We are trying to raise awareness of issues both with our young people and parents and carers, and we are making our MP Anthony Mangnall aware. I pleased to say we are meeting with him soon on this issue.

“As with all schools, vapes are prohibited items, and any instances of vaping are dealt with under our behaviour policy.”

In a statement, Morrisons said: “Our policy, in relation to the sale of vaping products, aims to offer our adult customers, who currently smoke, a safer alternative to tobacco.

“This is in line with Government guidance, including the recent Kahn report.

“Vaping products are age-restricted and we apply a strict Challenge 25 policy in all our stores to make sure that they cannot be purchased by customers under the age of 18.

“We have also taken care to ensure the displays for vaping products are located in areas of the store where we have strong colleague presence to deter the unwelcome attention of underage customers.

“We have a policy of not stocking flavours that could be considered particularly appealing to children such as ‘bubblegum’ and are very conscious of the importance of maintaining high standards of security so all fixtures are subject to CCTV monitoring and the items are security tagged.”

To sign the petition visit https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/618911