Do cops really care about people under 21 having vape?

Yes, the police do pay attention to and will investigate cases where minors possess or obtain e-cigarettes. However, the focus of their enforcement, the methods they use, and the degree of strictness may vary depending on the region where you are.
Police forces in many regions around the world have designated preventing minors from accessing e-cigarettes as a clear law enforcement task. The following is a comparison of the key enforcement points and methods in different regions:
Region/Case Enforcement Focus and Methods Related Penalties/Consequences
Iowa, USA Police and tax authorities jointly launched the "I-PLEDGE" program, conducting education and compliance checks on retailers and using underage volunteers to test purchases. Businesses that sell to minors will be fined (first offense $135, third offense or later $645).
Lancashire, UK Police and local trade standards department jointly carried out testing purchase operations, investigating stores that sell e-cigarettes to minors. Stores under investigation, and the public can report anonymously.
South Australia, Australia Outright severe penalty measures were introduced, listing the sale of e-cigarettes to minors as a key target for crackdown. Maximum fine can reach 1.5 million Australian dollars, and the offending store can be closed for up to 6 months.
Netherlands Plans to significantly increase fines for illegal sales of e-cigarettes (including to minors). Maximum fine for enterprises can reach 4,040 euros.
Hong Kong, China Laws clearly prohibit providing "smoking products" including e-cigarettes to individuals under 18 years old. The law has come into effect, and specific penalties are enforced by law enforcement agencies.
⚠️ Core of law enforcement: Prevent supply rather than punishing minors
From the above table, it can be seen that police enforcement actions are usually proactive and targeted, with the core goal being to cut off the supply source of e-cigarettes to minors, rather than mainly punishing the minors themselves.
The main targets of the enforcement actions are businesses: initiatives such as "compliance checks" and "test purchases" are aimed at identifying and punishing retailers who illegally sell to minors.
Focus on the illegal sales chain: Severe fines and store closures are all measures aimed at deterring the entire illegal sales network.
Key points you need to understand
Age is crucial: The legal purchasing age in most regions is 18 or 21 years old. Holding or purchasing anything below this age is illegal.
The penalties may not only come from the police: Besides the police's law enforcement, minors may also face school disciplinary actions, family discipline, and most importantly - the long-term harm of e-cigarettes to health (especially the brain development of teenagers).
Reporting is a common channel: Many regions encourage the public to report any behavior of selling e-cigarettes to minors, which itself indicates the attention paid by society and law enforcement agencies to this matter.
In summary, the police not only have legal authority to investigate, but also in practice, they will deal with the issue of minors obtaining e-cigarettes seriously through various means such as education, inspections, and heavy fines.