Scottish Greens call for tighter regulation on vape shops
Following reports about fire started in a vape retailer on Union Street in Glasgow, the Scottish Greens have renewed long-standing calls for stronger regulation of vape retailers.
At present retailers only need to join a national register in order to sell tobacco and vaping products, with no equivalent licensing system like the one that applies to alcohol sales.
Scottish Greens Co-Leader, Gillian Mackay MSP repeatedly raised concerns throughout this parliamentary session about the lack of robust oversight on vape shops, calling for a licensing system that is in the hands of local councils. Gillian also successfully campaigned for the Scottish Government to take stronger action on vaping, including the ban on single-use vapes.
The Scottish Greens say introducing a licensing scheme would allow local authorities to have greater control over where these products are sold, ensuring stronger safeguards are in place around their sale and storage as well as ensuring that they cannot be sold to children and young people.
Scottish Greens Co-Leader, Gillian Mackay MSP said:
“If initial reports are correct and if vapes have played a role in exacerbating this fire, then it highlights the risks that come with selling vapes and other hazardous materials without proper oversight.
“My thoughts are with all of the workers and businesses who have lost so much, as well as the firefighters and emergency services who bravely brought the blaze under control.
“The age of shops selling products containing lithium-ion batteries facing fewer checks than a corner shop selling alcohol, must end.
“The Scottish Greens have been clear when it comes to vapes - the Scottish Government must introduce a robust licensing scheme that gives local councils the power to refuse licences, enforce safety standards and take action against businesses that break the rules.
“Throughout this parliamentary session I have campaigned for stronger regulation and a proper licensing system for vape retailers, primarily to safeguard against children and young people having access to these products, and that call has only become more urgent with time.
“Until we have stronger regulation in place, there will be serious questions about how vape shops are regulated and if they should be allowed to operate close to critical infrastructure like major transport hubs.”
Glasgow Green Cllr Christy Mearns said:
“It is completely devastating that Glasgow has suffered another serious fire in the heart of the city - our thoughts are with those businesses and workers who have lost everything. We are grateful to the firefighters who bravely fought the fire at this historic corner of Glasgow.
“With the intensity of the fire exacerbated by vape products, and with multiple fires recorded in our refuse service for the same reasons in recent years, Government must act on Greens’ long-standing call to fully regulate and license vape products, including controlling how lithium-ion battery products are stored, and consider whether these products are suitable or safe to be sold on our high streets at all.”
“The economic impact of this fire will be significant and the disruption will be felt for many weeks, months and possibly years, so strong lessons must be learnt.
"We must see all levels of Government look towards how we urgently rebuild what is a true cornerstone site of Scotland’s busiest railway station - we can’t keep letting Glasgow’s built heritage go up in flames.”