Vape boss backs backs action on 'illicit operators' after fire

VPZ, which has shops in Glasgow and around the UK, has written to Susan Aitken, the leader of Glasgow City Council.

While recognising the public concerns following the blaze, widely believed to have started in a shop selling and storing vapes, the firm wants the focus to be on ensuring safe practices rather than specific products.

VPZ said it is calling for: “A proportionate, evidence-led approach focused on safe storage and handling of lithium-ion battery products, stronger enforcement against illicit and non-compliant retailers and improved coordination between agencies responsible for public safety.”

In the letter to the council leader, the firm said the key issue is therefore not the presence of vaping products in retail, but the presence of illicit non-compliant products, poor storage practices and insufficient enforcement against those operating outside existing rules.

Jamie Strachan, operations director, said: “First, we recognise the seriousness of the incident and the impact it has had on businesses, the city centre and the wider public and it is important that the ongoing investigation by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service be allowed to establish the cause before firm conclusions are drawn.

“We note the Council’s emerging position, including the focus on understanding the role that vaping products and lithium-ion batteries may have played, and the importance of learning lessons once the investigation has concluded.

“In this context, it is important to distinguish between different parts of the retail environment.”

The firm wanted to emphasise the importance of allowing the  fire investigation to conclude before firm conclusions are drawn, while also highlighting the need to distinguish between compliant specialist vape retailers and the risks posed by illicit and non-compliant products.

Mr Strachan also spoke to the Glasgow Times in the aftermath of the fire.

He said: “The vape shop where it first started wasn't even on Scotland’s Tobacco Register, which is a very minimal legal requirement.”

 “We really need to distinguish between shops that are following the rules and those that are just setting up these shops as a money-making opportunity.”

Mr Strachan pointed to unregulated vapes as being one of the biggest problems in the industry and is something, he argues, that needs to be addressed.

He said: “We see products coming from China in a lot of these vape shops, which are not built to the same standard as those made in the UK. Some are even coming through the black market.

“There needs to be a better understanding of the regulations, and that must feed through to trading standards. It is a non-compliant device that creates risks.”

The government, he said should use the aftermath of the fire to educate people on the vaping industry, and what exactly is inside vapes.

He said: “Lithium batteries are in vapes, and they are also the most common battery type in the world.

“They are in small electronic devices and are compliant with UK and European law. It is the same batteries that are in laptops and washing machines, and nobody worries about those general electronics in their house catching fire or blowing up. There's no additional risk of that in vapes.

“There's a lack of knowledge around what these products are and what is inside them, and there needs to be more education around what is inside vapes.”

Despite people calling for the closure of vape shops around the city after the fire,  has reiterated the need for them.

“We do understand the knee-jerk reaction to vape shops being the problem, but it really disadvantages those who have a genuine need for the service, and it's an absolutely unnecessary reaction given that it's a small percentage of these stores that are unregulated that are outside of the licensing system.”

Susan Aitken, spoke about legislation at a council meeting on Thursday and warned against “pre-empting the fire investigation”.

She said: “I agree we should discuss the safety of lithium-ion batteries and where they can be stored.”

On the store where the fire started, she said: “This was not a vape shop, it was a shop that sold vapes.

“And there are shops that sell vapes right across our city and in every town in Scotland.

“We need to have that conversation but we should have that conversation and be clear the Scottish Parliament needs to take it forward.”

She said legislation around lithium iron batteries won’t solve the problem of the safety of heritage buildings in Glasgow.”