Vape News From Scotland
Raids, ‘coughing up blood’, and a Holyrood push to change the law to get rid of smoking “for good”
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by Dave Cross
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North Lanarkshire Trading Standards received reports from concerned parents that children were able to buy disposable vapes that looked like “highlighter pens”.
The raids focussed on these types of ecigs that contain illegal amounts of nicotine, something that has become problematic across the UK of late.
Trading standards manager Paul Bannister said: “Our exercise has successfully removed a number of nicotine vapour products from sale, due to consumer product safety concerns.
“We will be writing to retailers with guidance on these products and advising them to return any stock not complying with the legal requirements. We will continue to monitor sales of nicotine vapour products and will not hesitate to take enforcement action against any retailer who continues to stock these potentially harmful products. Remember, it is unlawful for nicotine vapour products to be supplied to persons under the age of 18 years.
“Disposable vapes are sold in bright packaging designed to appeal to young people in flavours like strawberry and bubble gum, for as little as £5. They contain very high levels of nicotine, and we have anecdotal evidence that young people using them have coughed up blood, experienced nose bleeds and nausea."
The action followed raids taking place in Aberdeen where officers confiscated £900-worth of disposables.
Aberdeen’s Trading Standards spokesperson commented: “It was unacceptable that vapers are unknowingly risking their health by using these unsafe disposable products. Illegal and counterfeit products are flooding into the market and consequently pose a potential health risk to customers. Inappropriately branded products are also being purposely marketed towards children.”
Fortunately, all the negative publicity hasn’t dissuaded Dr Sandesh Gulhane MSP from continuing to investigate the role vaping can play in reducing the harm caused by tobacco.
The former clinician says he used to have to remove limbs and unblock arteries that had been damaged by smoking and wishes the day would come where cigarettes are banned from sale.
“I used to be an orthopaedic surgeon and I did jobs amputating limbs because they were smokers. I also did a vascular job to bypass clogged arteries that were all blocked up directly as a result of smoking. There is nothing smoking doesn’t do. It can make you go blind, and it can give you heart attacks and strokes.”
The MSP believe more can be done to inform the public through information on packaging, pack inserts, and looking at nicotine limits – all the while not being “a huge fan of ecigs”.
“I appreciate that e-cigarettes can be a very good way to get people to stop smoking. I am a realist – yes, I want everyone to stop completely but I would much rather, given the choice, have people smoking e-cigarettes rather than cigarettes,” he said.
Dave Cross
Journalist at POTVDave is a freelance writer; with articles on music, motorbikes, football, pop-science, vaping and tobacco harm reduction in Sounds, Melody Maker, UBG, AWoL, Bike, When Saturday Comes, Vape News Magazine, and syndicated across the Johnston Press group. He was published in an anthology of “Greatest Football Writing”, but still believes this was a mistake. Dave contributes sketches to comedy shows and used to co-host a radio sketch show. He’s worked with numerous start-ups to develop content for their websites.
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