Number of unregistered city centre vape shops revealed
A Glasgow Times investigation found 16 unregistered vape shops in the city centre, raising concerns following a recent fire.Summary
The Glasgow Times discovered numerous vape shops in Glasgow city centre that are not registered on the government's Register of Tobacco and Nicotine Vapour Product Retailers. A tour of key streets – Sauchiehall Street, Gordon Street, Argyle Street, and others – revealed 16 unregistered premises as of Friday morning. While the register lists many registered retailers, the presence of unregistered shops raises safety concerns, particularly in light of a recent fire in a vape shop on Union Street that caused significant damage and disruption. Authorities can issue £200 fines to unregistered shops, and enforcement focuses on age restrictions and product legality, but there are limited regulations regarding storage of vape products and lithium-ion batteries. The Glasgow City Council is now revisiting premises to remind owners of their registration duties, and some shops have registered since the initial investigation. Concerns were raised with First Minister John Swinney and Keir Starmer regarding the safety of vape shops.
(Source：Glasgow Times)
