Blackburn named the vape shop capital of the UK

BLACKBURN has more vape shops per person than anywhere else in Britain, research has found.

The town ranks as the country’s vaping capital as it has the highest concentration of vape shops, according to Go Smoke Free, an online vape shop which conducted the research.

There are 27 registered vape retailers serving its population of 119,707 residents, averaging 22.56 stores per 100,000 people.

Bolton came in second with 41 stores for 202,369 people, averaging 20.26 retailers per 100,000 residents.

Manchester ranks third with 110 shops in total, but the city’s larger population of 554,400 means this works out to 19.84 stores per 100,000 residents.

London was 38th with 292 vape shops serving 8.9 million residents, averaging 3.28 retailers per 100,000 people. Meanwhile, Oxford, with its population of 163,967 was at the bottom of the rankings with one vape shop, equalling 0.61 stores per 100,000 people.

The research analysed Companies House records for active “vape” stores which were listed as “retail sale of tobacco products in specialised stores”.

A Go Smoke Free spokesman said: “The new disposable vape ban should help to discourage children from taking up vaping, while encouraging adults to shift to more sustainable alternatives, such as refillable vapes.”

It added: “This study highlights which areas of the UK are most likely to be affected by the upcoming disposable vape ban. These cities could see a significant shift in their vaping culture, with the ban impacting consumer behaviour, and existing vape retailers adapting their offerings to cater to the new legislation.”

Disposable vapes are to be banned and other e-cigarettes will be placed behind shop counters as part of the Government’s efforts to stop children becoming addicted.

The ban on disposable vapes could come into force as soon as this year or early next year at the latest.

Single-use e-cigarettes are available for £3 each, prompting fears that children have been lured into the habit by “pocket money” prices. Ministers are to draw up measures to deter children from taking up the habit, while ensuring they do not stop the use of e-cigarettes as a route to quit smoking.