City of Edinburgh Council passed a motion on 16 March to ask the Scottish Government for increased vape shop regulation powers following the fire which took place in Glasgow on the 8 March.
The fire, which originated in a vape shop next to Glasgow Central Station, had catastrophic impact, causing the destruction of a B-listed Victorian building and the temporary closure of the city’s busiest station.
Green councillor Susan Rae moved an emergency motion in the wake of the fire, highlighting that there is no power to refuse to register a premise selling vapes and no legislation on the storage of vapes. Stronger safeguards could reduce the risk of fire.
If granted, shops would have to apply for licenses to sell vapes, allowing councils to refuse applications and revoke licenses for breaches. Rules around storage of batteries, limits on stock quantities, and fire prevention tools could also be tightened.
Rae drew attention to a need for extra government resources to carry out vape shop regulation.
Vape shops pose a fire risk due to the ignition potential of the lithium-ion batteries contained in vapes and the flammability of vape liquid.
Given that 56 per cent of students at the University of Edinburgh report being addicted to vaping, developments in regulatory policy are likely to have relevance and significance to the student body.
Image by Cordelia Murray-Brown for The Student.