Belfast shop banned from selling tobacco and vapes

By: Michael Kenwood, Local Democracy Reporter

A Belfast shop has been given a five week ban from selling tobacco and nicotine inhaling products such as e-cigarettes and vapes.

The application for a Restricted Premises Order was taken by Belfast City Council against Titanic Vapour, 264 Shankill Road, owned by James Elwood, upon detection of non-compliance with tobacco control legislation.

Following complaints by members of the public, visits and test exercises were carried out on the premises by the council, and on four separate occasions Titanic Vapour sold nicotine inhaling products to under 18’s.

This is the fourth case, taken by Belfast City Council, where a shop has been banned from selling tobacco products and nicotine inhaling products.

The hearing on 8 March was an appeal by the premises owner, James Elwood against a Restricted Premises Order granted by the Magistrates Court on 13 February.

Last year Belfast Council came down hard on vaping and smoking, when it responded to a UK wide consultation on vaping by proposing vapes should be only behind the counter and with “unattractive flavours.”

Published in October by the UK Department of Health and Social Care, in partnership with the Department of Health in Northern Ireland, the consultation makes proposals for restrictions on the sale of tobacco and vapes, including a proposed UK wide ban on the sale of disposable vape products.

In April 2023 the council agreed to convene a working group with the NI Department of Health, the Public Health Agency and the PSNI to consider measures to strengthen current legislation and enforcement, including the consideration of a ban on the sale of disposable vapes.

(Local Democracy Reporting Service)