Vape shops have been growing recently in the US, and now they are growing in the UK. Given the increasing number of users of electronic cigarettes over the past few years, there is now a growing increase in vape shops. A third specialist vaping shop has just opened in Westgate Street, in Gloucester and is offering a wide range of alternative products to traditional cigarettes. The new establishment is just a few hundred yards from NHS Stop Smoking Service.
The latest news is that the Smoker’s Angel has joined Spa Vapes and E-Vapor as the latest to offer tobacco-free electronic cigarettes for sale in their vape shop.
With high number of smokers in Gloucester, it turns out to be a clear market and a great place to open a vape shop specialising in e cigarettes. The Smoker’s Angel has worked towards upgrading the staff by introducing two new departments that can take good care of their customer needs. Dee Power, the founder of Gloucester’s very first Vapour shop, says that the market is substantially huge and has a lot of potential in the coming years.
Despite of what people think, this industry is regulated, but the recent concerns over the past year have been about quality control. Electronic cigarettes should always be bought from reputed sellers, such as smokshop.com, if quality is the biggest concern.
Many popular tobacco companies are also coming up with new plans to capture the market and are buying up many first generation e-cigarette companies. Most of them are already worried about their profits, as the rise in vape shops in the US has seen a decline in “cigalike” type e cigarettes.
All three vape shops in Gloucester have taken over previously empty units. Chairman of the Westgate Traders Association, Ivan Taylor, said, “These companies are providing services that is clearly in demand”. All the empty shops are now being used and each of them have their own unique selling point.
It should also be noted that the regulations for electronic cigarettes are not too strict currently. Thus, a lot of products can be sold without the company having any medical license. But, Elaine Watson working with NHS Stop Smoking Service wants a change in the system to have more transparency in the system. There is very limited evidence about the long-term health implications, she said. We have put a proposal on the table with British Medical Association to regulate the content. This is to ensure that there is an effective and safe way of cutting down on the use of traditional smoking. Nevertheless, the debate whether e-cig is a good alternative or not, is still on the table waiting for a definitive conclusion.
You all know our thoughts on the safety of e cigarettes, as there is a ton of data proving that they are safer than tobacco. No doubt the debate will continue for a few years yet and in the mean time vape shops will continue to spring up all across the country.
What do you think? Do you think vape shops are a good thing? Feel free to let us know in the comments below.
Author: Kevin Ewbank
Avid vaper & co-founder of SmokShop
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