Renfrewshire Council says work to tackle illicit tobacco and illegal vape sales is set to continue expanding as concerns grow over the scale of the problem.
Councillors were told officers have already been heavily involved in enforcement activity alongside HMRC and Police Scotland, with further support expected through additional government funding and new legislation.
The issue was raised during the Infrastructure, Land and Environment Policy Board on 27 May, when councillor Ben Smith asked what progress was being made amid growing national concern over illegal vaping products and rogue vape shops.
Councillor Smith said: “Given on-going concerns nationally about vape shops and illicit vaping, what is the progress on that?
“I know that the UK Government is funding specifically for that, so how will that support the council’s activity in that area?”
Responding, council officer Gerard Hannah said Renfrewshire had already built a strong reputation for enforcement work in the area.
He said: “We have probably been victims of our own success in that field.
“One of our officers is due to leave us shortly to work with a Scotland-wide approach to dealing with illicit tobacco and vapes.”
Mr Hannah said the council had become “extremely active” over the past two years, particularly through joint operations with HMRC targeting illegal tobacco and vape products.
He added: “We are building from a really strong position.
“Any additional funding that comes in from the UK or Scottish Governments will always be welcomed and will help us to look at the resources that we have to deal with this.”
Mr Hannah warned the problem was continuing to grow and said further legal changes would create additional enforcement challenges for council teams.
He said: “It is not going away for anything, it is growing.
“We should make sure that we have the adequate resources to deal with the problem as it continues to evolve.
“Even with new legislation coming in, that will present its own challenges for our teams to have to respond to.”
Councillors discussed the issue during a meeting of Renfrewshire Council’s Infrastructure, Land and Environment Policy Board.