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The bright colours and cartoon styling of these bottles mean they would fit in on the sweet shelf.
And many mimic the trusted logos of much-loved food and drink brands.
The makers also know the flavours they promise are exactly what youngsters crave.
But these are all vaping liquids for e-cigarettes – enticing kids to risk health issues and potentially develop a nicotine habit.
In the US, similar liquids aimed at youngsters have been pulled from the market and banned following 13 vaping-linked deaths and reports of more than 800 vaping-related illnesses.
Yet the Sunday People found them available to kids in the UK via eBay without age checks – despite sales of the liquids and nicotine being illegal for under-18s.
(Image: Getty)
Professor Jonathan Grigg, a paediatrician at Queen Mary University of London, said: “I’m concerned that these liquids could contain dangerous chemicals.
“It’s unlikely we know the long term effects of vaping and the reassurance we have from our regulatory bodies may not be backed up by complete evidence. I think there’s a risk that children will find these flavours attractive, and the smell.
“Teens trying out vaping will get hooked on the flavours, and become addicted to nicotine.
“The widespread advertising and use of flavouring makes me worried. Cigarettes should taste like cigarettes, not like candy.”
As a result of our exposé, eBay suspended the sellers’ accounts, saying they had failed to follow rules about age verification.
A Public Health England report earlier this year showed vaping among youngsters had doubled in four years, from eight per cent in 2014 to 16 per cent in 2018.
One in six 11 to 18-year-olds had tried e-cigs and many said they liked the flavours.
The People’s undercover reporter found a number of eBay sellers in the UK offering fluids that mimic fizzy pop and sweets.
Our investigation reveals brands like Candy Crush, Coca-Cola and Krispy Kreme are being illegally exploited to push the products, designed to be mixed with nicotine and
then vaped.
When we checked we found the Fantango range, with flavours like lemon & lime and apple & blackcurrant, priced at £9.99.
One reviewer wrote: “Great juice. Bought it as wanted to see if tastes like Fanta.”
Another product, at £8.95, had packaging resembling Krispy Kreme, with the name Krusty Kremes. There were also rips-offs of Candy Crush and Oreo.
Another liquid copied sweet brand Sour Patch Kids, bragging: “Your favourite American sour candy sweets now in your vape juice.”
The products were marketed as “Premium USA” but some are manufactured in Asia.
Cola 80ml liquid, imported from Malaysia, was being sold by a UK company and copies the Coca-Cola branding.
All listings promised “age verification checks” but orders were taken without asking for proof of age – and our researcher was told items would be sent by 2nd class Royal Mail post.
Despite sales of e-liquids and nicotine being banned for under-18s, we bought vaping liquid with 20ml nicotine.
A concerned mum had posted on an eBay forum: “My 15-year-old and 12-year-old both found it very easy to buy their vape supplies on eBay. Apparently, eBay does not care about age policies.”
We phoned the seller behind one and they claimed to check ages using something called 912 age verification, which eBay was unfamilar with.
England’s chief medical officer, Prof Dame Sally Davies, has warned that the issue of children vaping could be “a ticking time bomb”.
And our findings come the same week as the boss of Juul, the largest vaping firm in the US, was forced to step down.
It was accused of targeting e-cigs at kids and was hit by reports of hundreds of cases of seemingly vaping-related illness.
For years, Juul promoted its e-cigs as a safer alternative to traditional tobacco.
But the Food and Drug Administration recently warned it against making health claims without presenting scientific evidence for approval.
President Donald Trump said he is banning flavoured vaping liquids amid fears of an epidemic among teenagers.
The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in the US puts the vaping death toll at 13 so far but says the specific substance causing illness has yet to be identified.
Most patients have said they vaped products containing THC, the ingredient that produces a high in marijuana, while others said they vaped only nicotine.
The long-term effects of vaping are not yet known and US health officials are advising people not to use vaping products until the cause is better understood.
An explosion of pulmonary illness cases is thought to be linked to tainted vaping refill cartridges from the black market.
Flavours have been banned from cigarettes in Europe to deter youngsters.
Public Health England supports vaping as a route to help people quit smoking.
But studies have found youngsters who start vaping can get hooked on nicotine and take up smoking.
Prof Grigg said he is concerned PHE is offering “uncritical support” and there is a risk of a “further epidemic of devastating lung disease, like in the US”.
PHE last night stood by its claim that the devices are 95 per cent less harmful than smoking.
Professor John Newton, director for health improvement, said: “Our advice remains that e-cigarettes are a fraction of the risk of smoking.
“But it’s important to use UK-regulated e-liquids and never risk vaping homemade or illicit e-liquids or adding substances, any of which could be harmful.”
In February last year, NHS England said every smoker struggling to quit should be encouraged to take up e-cigs.
Dan Marchant, of the UK Vaping Industry Association, said “ we strongly condemn any vaping products being sold to or targeted at youths”.
Krispy Kreme said: “We have no affiliation with these vaping products and this is misuse of our brand logo.
“We will ask them to terminate use.” Coca-Cola also said it had no association with the products and would be taking legal action.
EBay said: “Age verification must be put in place by each seller and this is the responsibilty of each seller. The listings flagged by the Sunday People have been removed and the sellers suspended.”
