A Dundee shop owner has said a ban on disposable vapes could lead to better profit margins for retailers.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced changes in the law, which could come into effect at the end of this year.
The move is aimed at tackling the rise in young people vaping and protecting children’s health.
Local campaigner and Dundee and Abertay University PhD student Laura Young has welcomed the news.
Reusable vapes have ‘better profit margins’
One city business owner said profit margins are larger on reusable devices, meaning most legitimate vaping stockists would likely welcome changes.
CBD Infusions has been open on Perth Road for just over three years and its original branch, close to Verdant Works, for four.
Owner Ian Thomson said he could “see the point” in bringing in the ban.
He said: “We do sell some disposable vaporisers, but to be honest if a ban came in we would just switch what ones we do have to reusable.
“You just have to go to any car park near here and you will find loads of empty Elf Bar or Lost Mary brand disposables just dropped on the floor.
“I am pleased to say in all this time, I’ve never seen any of our products discarded inappropriately.
“The ban will initially apply to nicotine vapes, so it likely will not impact us to begin with.
“We will happily move to reusable, though. There is a bigger profit margin anyway.”
None of the newsagent shops selling disposable vapes wanted to speak to us about the ban, or changes in ID legislation.
Vape shops react to ban
A worker in another Dundee’s vaping store said it was about time a crack-down came about, and that trading standards had not done enough previously to stop disposable vapes getting in to the hands of children.
He said: “Primarily, I think it is a good thing.
“There are far too many bad actors in the game, who will not check IDs, who do not care about the devices being used once, then thrown away.
“Not enough checks are being carried out – by the authorities and trading standards.
“The younger ones do not need to come into shops anymore, they can have them delivered to their door and it’s unlikely ID checks are being carried out.
“The disposable vapes provide two problems, really — an environmental one and a moral one.”
VPZ welcomes disposable vape ban
Meanwhile Retailer VPZ, which runs more than 160 stores across the UK including on Dundee’s Nethergate, said it was supportive of the ban.
Director Doug Mutter said: “For the past two years we have called on the UK Government to introduce licencing and controls for selling vaping products.
“We believe that this would provide a strong and robust solution to tackling access and the impact of disposables on youth uptake and the environment.
“From this perspective we welcome and fully support news the UK Government plans to introduce a ban on disposable vaping products.
“However it’s hugely important that it operates alongside a licencing scheme where there are proper punishments and policing in place to enforce the ban, tackle the existing black market and ensure that it doesn’t continue to grow.”
Dundee campaigner welcomes vape ban
Before tackling her Phd joint-run by the city’s universities, Laura Young became recognisable in 2022 after a social media post showing how many devices were being discarded on the street.
She is delighted at the result which saw several industries working together to tackle the issue.
“It shows that grassroots activists and people within the community are able to have their voices heard,” she said.
“While we are celebrating, we should remember that the ban is not coming in today.
“It could be another year before it comes in, and we will still continue to see these products in our environment.
“That is a problem we need to keep chipping away at before the ban comes into force.”
