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Scotsman
7 days ago
- Health
- Scotsman
Availability of disposable vapes in Edinburgh risks creating 'black market' says MSP
An MSP has warned that the widespread availability of disposable vapes in the Scottish capital risks creating a 'black market'. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The prevalence of disposable vapes in Edinburgh risks creating a 'black market' in the Capital, an MSP has warned. The comments follow a Local Democracy Reporting Service investigation which found shops across Edinburgh were still selling disposable vapes over a month after they were banned. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad And a leading health charity has called their widespread availability across the city 'disappointing'. Edinburgh council has insisted it is enforcing the disposable vapes ban, and added it was currently seeking two banning orders for traders who have flouted the law. Local democracy reporter Joe Sullivan with the illegal vapes he was able to purchase from several Edinburgh shops. | LDR The city's trading standards team are currently investigating evidence passed on by the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Miles Briggs, a list MSP for Lothian region, said: 'It is very concerning that the ban on disposable vapes is not being enforced properly in Edinburgh. The effects of these devices on people's health and the environment are serious, and shopkeepers who do not accept this must be held to account. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Police must work with local businesses to ensure that this new law is followed, and all disposable vapes are removed from shelves immediately. We cannot allow a black market to develop in our city.' Lothians Green MSP Lorna Slater said: 'Disposable vapes are a scourge on our environment. Before the ban 5 million were being thrown away every week in the UK, littering our streets, parks, rivers and beaches. 'Shops have had plenty of time to adjust their inventories. There's simply no excuse to still be selling these illegal products. It shows a clear lack of respect for the law and their local community. The illegal vapes which were purchased at Edinburgh shops despite being banned since June 1. | LDR 'The penalties for breaking this law can be steep. Now it's up to the Scottish Government to ensure enforcement teams are properly funded and equipped to crack down on those who are putting personal profit ahead of our environment and young people's health.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad And Councillor Kayleigh Kinross-O'Neill, the Green group co-leader, said: 'Disposables vapes are an environmental nightmare, and Greens firmly supported banning them. 'They create litter and reinforce the throwaway culture while having questionable health benefits so it's right we should see the back of them. 'However a ban is useless unless it is enforced, and the Local Democracy Reporting Service's investigation into this problem shows that enforcement in Edinburgh is practically non-existent. 'Unfortunately after years of austerity in local authority budgets, trading standards departments are under severe pressure, which may account for why so many stores in Edinburgh are apparently flouting the ban. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'But the Labour administration in Edinburgh need to get a grip on this problem and ensure resources are in place to ensure the ban is properly enforced. ' Our undercover investigation saw us purchase disposable vapes at seven shops in Edinburgh, with most of them displaying the vapes openly. At one, we saw none on the shelves, but we asked a shopkeeper if he had any. He obliged, placing ten on the counter for us to pick one. He told us: 'The only difference is the battery. But people still want these, they like the taste I think.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The same shopkeeper later denied selling us a disposable vape, and said the store did not stock any. Phil Doggart, a Conservative councillor for Liberton/Gilmerton ward, said: 'Any new legislation that introduces a ban or something, or restrictions on something, is only ever going to be as good as the enforcement around it. 'Not for the first time, the Scottish Government introduced something, and placed a responsibility on local authorities to deliver. 'From that perspective, if enforcement officers are unable to do anything around enforcing the vape ban, then it's not going to work. It's pointless legislation.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Councillor Doggart also noted that his party had won an additional £500,000 for trading standards enforcement in this year's budget. But he reiterated that placing extra responsibilities on local authorities without adding extra funding was bound to fail. The Scottish Government has set aside a £300,000 fund to enforce the ban, but to date none of it has been distributed to local authorities. Cosla and the government are currently in talks to determine how the funding will be distributed to Scotland's 32 local authorities. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad ASH Scotland, a health charity, called our investigation's findings 'deeply disappointing'. Sheila Duffy, the charity's chief executive, said: 'ASH Scotland welcomed the ban of cheap disposable e-cigarettes, which are still the starter recreational nicotine product for most youngsters. 'It is a vital first step towards reversing the alarming upsurge of children vaping in Scotland during the last few years. 'It is deeply disappointing that some retailers have not been adhering to these new regulations, which came into effect at the start of June. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'It is vital that trading standards teams are supplied with sufficient funding to effectively enforce the new regulations as a matter of urgency to protect public health and the environment.' She also said that the charity wanted to see quicker progress at Westminster over a proposed ban on flavoured vapes. A committee report from trading standards officers, presented to councillors in May, said that the service needed more funding to enforce the ban without degrading other enforcement activities. A Council spokesperson said: 'Whilst the committee report highlighted pressures on the service, it clearly outlined the success of the teams in terms of seizures of illegal vapes. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Recently, the Council has been in court enforcing the legislation by seeking two banning orders for traders who have flouted the law. All reports are taken seriously and will be investigated with action if required.' In many shops we visited, shopkeepers acknowledged the vapes were illegal, saying that they were trying to eliminate stock and make up for the fact that refill pods are not yet widespread. However, in some, people working the tills seemed to be confused by the ban. At one store, a shopkeeper appeared to legitimately believe that the vape we bought there was disposable. A different worker at the same store believed the same thing when we came back a couple days later, saying they had got the disposable units in two weeks prior. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Many companies have brought in reusable vapes which have the same design and flavours of their old disposable ones, at a similar price point. Even where refill pods are available, they are often priced at a similar level to a new reusable vape. Some vape users have continued buying a new reusable vape, which comes with a refill pod already in the unit, and then throwing it away after it is consumed. The ban was brought in to help fight littering and improve public health, with the Scottish ban part of a nationwide effort. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The legislation, and punishments, for breaching the ban differ in each of the four nations, but it came into effect in all of them on 1 June. Retailers had many months' notice to clear out existing stock ahead of the ban starting, with Scotland's ban delayed by two months to line up with the rest of the UK. In Scotland, retailers can be fined £200 for the first offence, with repeat offences drawing a higher sum. The maximum penalty is a criminal prosecution, with fines up to £5,000 and up to two years in prison.
Edinburgh Reporter
15-07-2025
- Business
- Edinburgh Reporter
Shops across Edinburgh still selling single use vapes despite ban
Shops across the Capital are still selling single use vapes – over a month after they were banned across the country. The Local Democracy Reporting Service was able to buy seven at sites around the city, with many shops still carrying them in public view. Many shop workers acknowledged they were illegal to sell when asked by an undercover reporter, with one saying customers sought them out because they 'liked the taste'. Others said they were working on clearing out stock, while a handful pled ignorance, saying they did not know the vapes were illegal. The ban was brought in on 1 June of this year by the Scottish Government over public health and environmental well-being grounds. We bought seven vapes at shops across Edinburgh | Image via Joe Sullivan, Disposable vapes come in a range of flavours | Image via Joe Sullivan, Similar bans came into effect in England, Wales and Northern Ireland on the same day, with the Scottish ban delayed by two months to line up the start date nationwide. It had been announced in Scotland in early 2024, giving manufacturers and retailers time to adapt to the change. To be legal, vapes need to be rechargeable, and have the ability for the vape liquid and heating elements inside to be replaced. Vape manufacturers have responded by creating new lines of products that visibly resemble their old disposable ones, but which feature charging ports and disposable pods that contain liquid and new heating elements. Local authorities have been tasked with enforcing the ban – though a council report in May said the city's trading standards team would need more resources to investigate disposable vapes without reducing their other services. Having seen several stores appearing to stock disposable vapes weeks after the ban came into effect we carried out test purchasing at sites across the city. At one popular city centre retailer, we asked if the store had any disposable vapes on hand. A cashier obliged, and took out ten disposable vapes, laying them out on the counter for us to take our pick. He acknowledged that they were illegal, but said that customers seemed to prefer the taste of the old disposable units over the refillable equivalents many companies have released. He said: 'The only difference is the battery. But people still want these, they like the taste I think.' The vape we bought there, a Higo Crystal bar, lacks a charging port or a way to replace the liquid inside, making it illegal under the new law. Returning a couple days later, the same shopkeeper denied he sold us the vape, and said the shop did not stock or carry ones not compliant with the ban. At a Southside convenience store, we were able to ask for a cola-flavoured Elf Bar right off the shelf without issue. When asked if the vape was illegal, the cashier there confirmed it was. He said the store was working on clearing out its stock, and that refills for the newer vapes were hard to obtain. He continued on to say: 'People don't care [whether the vape is disposable], they're the same. The law is pointless without having the refills.' The story was the same at another two city centre newsagents, where we were able to buy a disposable peach ice SKE bar and a disposable cherry cola Elf Bar. One shopkeeper there told us: 'The [refill] pods are hard to get. Our supplier doesn't stock them, we can't buy them.' The issue of what is legal and illegal was one which seemed to be causing some shopkeepers trouble. At another city centre newsagent we were able to purchase a pineapple peach mango Elf Bar – and when asked if it was compliant with the ban, the shopkeeper seemed to believe it was, telling us, 'you can change the pods'. He was confused when we removed the vape from its packaging, and pointed out that it had no charger or removable refill pods. When we went back to the shop, a different shop worker also thought the vape was legal, saying they had received the non-compliant Elf Bars as part of a shipment two weeks ago. We were also able to buy non-compliant vapes at two more shops in the city, with both stocking them quite openly. All seven stores were asked for comment, however none had responded by time of publication. At each store we asked for a receipt, however most declined to provide them, with some saying they were out of receipt paper and others providing no explanation as to why one could not be given. The Local Democracy Reporting Service has now passed its dossier of evidence on to Edinburgh Council's trading standards team, who are investigating. We also checked some chain supermarkets for vapes – and managed to find one, the Sainsbury's on Shandwick Place – stocking disposable ones. However, when a cashier tried to ring up the vape, his terminal would not allow him to scan the product. He then cleared the remaining disposable vapes from the shelf behind him. A spokesperson for Sainsbury's said the firm took its 'role as a responsible retailer very seriously', and that it ensures all its stores are compliant with the ban. A spokesperson for the Scottish Government said: 'Local authorities are responsible for enforcement of the single use vape ban. Day to day enforcement activities are carried out by Trading standards officers employed by each Local Authority. 'The Scottish Government remains in contact with regulators and the other UK nations regarding any compliance and enforcement issues.' Alexandra Connell, chair of the Society of Chief Officers of Trading Standards in Scotland, said that trading standards teams need more support in order to tackle the ban. She said: 'We are a small profession. We [already] have an awful lot of other work that's equally important that we have to get out and do. 'The Scottish Government have identified some monies to help us with enforcement of it. But the mechanisms for how that money gets to us isn't particularly clear [yet]. 'And it's a small pot. Divided between 32 local authorities, it means everybody gets a very small pot of money. 'What we really need is to be properly resourced. We need to recognise that we actually have a huge remit. 'And our remit seems to be getting bigger, we have new burdens, but as I say, we are a small profession.' Ms Connell said that trading standards officers often had to prioritise investigating products with the most harm, such as counterfeit or defective children's toys, over enforcement of other products. She also said stopping disposable vapes at the border might be a more cost-effective solution than having council trading standards officers remove them from individual stores. According to her, investigating vapes that aren't compliant with the ban is an expensive and time consuming process. She says trading standards officers need extensive training to identify illegal vapes. And, they sometimes need to take vapes apart, as some will appear to feature charging ports but lack a rechargeable battery. The process of getting rid of disposable vapes is also challenging – due to their lithium batteries, they need to be appropriately recycled, which does not always come cheap. A spokesperson for Edinburgh Council said: 'Single use disposable vaping devices became illegal on 1 June, and any business still offering these for sale is committing a criminal offence. 'Trading Standards Officers may seize the items, issue Fixed Penalty notices or submit reports to the Procurator Fiscal. 'The Trading Standards team will respond to any complaints or reports of non-compliance, which can be sent to [email protected] or reported via Advice Direct Scotland.' By Joseph Sullivan Local Democracy Reporter Like this: Like Related
Scotsman
15-07-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Edinburgh shops still selling single use vapes over a month after they were banned
Shops across the Capital are still selling single use vapes – over a month after they were banned across the country. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The Local Democracy Reporting Service was able to buy seven at sites around Edinburgh, with many shops still carrying them in public view. Many shop workers acknowledged they were illegal to sell when asked by an undercover reporter, with one saying customers sought them out because they 'liked the taste'. Others said they were working on clearing out stock, while a handful pled ignorance, saying they did not know the vapes were illegal. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The ban was brought in on June 1 of this year by the Scottish Government over public health and environmental well-being grounds. Similar bans came into effect in England, Wales and Northern Ireland on the same day, with the Scottish ban delayed by two months to line up the start date nationwide. Local democracy reporter Joe Sullivan with the illegal vapes he was able to purchase from several Edinburgh shops. | LDR It had been announced in Scotland in early 2024, giving manufacturers and retailers time to adapt to the change. To be legal, vapes need to be rechargeable, and have the ability for the vape liquid and heating elements inside to be replaced. Vape manufacturers have responded by creating new lines of products that visibly resemble their old disposable ones, but which feature charging ports and disposable pods that contain liquid and new heating elements. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Local authorities have been tasked with enforcing the ban – though a council report in May said the city's trading standards team would need more resources to investigate disposable vapes without reducing their other services. Having seen several stores appearing to stock disposable vapes weeks after the ban came into effect we carried out test purchasing at sites across the city. At one popular city centre retailer, we asked if the store had any disposable vapes on hand. A cashier obliged, and took out ten disposable vapes, laying them out on the counter for us to take our pick. He acknowledged that they were illegal, but said that customers seemed to prefer the taste of the old disposable units over the refillable equivalents many companies have released. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad He said: 'The only difference is the battery. But people still want these, they like the taste I think.' The vape we bought there, a Higo Crystal bar, lacks a charging port or a way to replace the liquid inside, making it illegal under the new law. Returning a couple days later, the same shopkeeper denied he sold us the vape, and said the shop did not stock or carry ones not compliant with the ban. At a Southside convenience store, we were able to ask for a cola-flavoured Elf Bar right off the shelf without issue. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad When asked if the vape was illegal, the cashier there confirmed it was. He said the store was working on clearing out its stock, and that refills for the newer vapes were hard to obtain. He continued on to say: 'People don't care [whether the vape is disposable], they're the same. The law is pointless without having the refills.' The story was the same at another two city centre newsagents, where we were able to buy a disposable peach ice SKE bar and a disposable cherry cola Elf Bar. One shopkeeper there told us: 'The [refill] pods are hard to get. Our supplier doesn't stock them, we can't buy them.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The issue of what is legal and illegal was one which seemed to be causing some shopkeepers trouble. At another city centre newsagent we were able to purchase a pineapple peach mango Elf Bar – and when asked if it was compliant with the ban, the shopkeeper seemed to believe it was, telling us, 'you can change the pods'. He was confused when we removed the vape from its packaging, and pointed out that it had no charger or removable refill pods. When we went back to the shop, a different shop worker also thought the vape was legal, saying they had received the non-compliant Elf Bars as part of a shipment two weeks ago. We were also able to buy non-compliant vapes at two more shops in the city, with both stocking them quite openly. All seven stores were asked for comment, however none had responded by time of publication. At each store we asked for a receipt, however most declined to provide them, with some saying they were out of receipt paper and others providing no explanation as to why one could not be given. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The Local Democracy Reporting Service has now passed its dossier of evidence on to Edinburgh Council's trading standards team, who are investigating. We also checked some chain supermarkets for vapes – and managed to find one, the Sainsbury's on Shandwick Place – stocking disposable ones. However, when a cashier tried to ring up the vape, his terminal would not allow him to scan the product. He then cleared the remaining disposable vapes from the shelf behind him. A spokesperson for Sainsbury's said the firm took its 'role as a responsible retailer very seriously', and that it ensures all its stores are compliant with the ban. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A spokesperson for the Scottish Government said: 'Local authorities are responsible for enforcement of the single use vape ban. Day to day enforcement activities are carried out by Trading standards officers employed by each Local Authority. 'The Scottish Government remains in contact with regulators and the other UK nations regarding any compliance and enforcement issues.' The illegal vapes which were purchased at Edinburgh shops despite being banned since June 1. | LDR Alexandra Connell, chair of the Society of Chief Officers of Trading Standards in Scotland, said that trading standards teams need more support in order to tackle the ban. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad She said: 'We are a small profession. We [already] have an awful lot of other work that's equally important that we have to get out and do. 'The Scottish Government have identified some monies to help us with enforcement of it. But the mechanisms for how that money gets to us isn't particularly clear [yet]. 'And it's a small pot. Divided between 32 local authorities, it means everybody gets a very small pot of money. 'What we really need is to be properly resourced. We need to recognise that we actually have a huge remit. And our remit seems to be getting bigger, we have new burdens, but as I say, we are a small profession.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Ms Connell said that trading standards officers often had to prioritise investigating products with the most harm, such as counterfeit or defective children's toys, over enforcement of other products. She also said stopping disposable vapes at the border might be a more cost-effective solution than having council trading standards officers remove them from individual stores. According to her, investigating vapes that aren't compliant with the ban is an expensive and time consuming process. She says trading standards officers need extensive training to identify illegal vapes. And, they sometimes need to take vapes apart, as some will appear to feature charging ports but lack a rechargeable battery. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The process of getting rid of disposable vapes is also challenging – due to their lithium batteries, they need to be appropriately recycled, which does not always come cheap. A spokesperson for Edinburgh Council said: 'Single use disposable vaping devices became illegal on June 1, and any business still offering these for sale is committing a criminal offence. 'Trading Standards Officers may seize the items, issue Fixed Penalty notices or submit reports to the Procurator Fiscal. 'The Trading Standards team will respond to any complaints or reports of non-compliance, which can be sent to or reported via Advice Direct Scotland.'
Scotsman
10-07-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Bus fare for critical Edinburgh service to increase at the end of the month
Fares are set to be hiked on a critical Edinburgh bus service operated by Lothian Buses after it was excluded from a network-wide fare increase in April. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The Airlink 100 service, connecting the city centre to Edinburgh Airport, will see fares for both singles and returns jump up 50p from Sunday, July 27. Singles on the route, which runs via Haymarket, Murrayfield and Corstorphine, will jump up to £6.00, up from £5.50 prior to the change, while returns will go from £8.00 to £8.50. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad And family returns will jump £2.00, from £20 to £22. However, passengers using a Ridacard or who reach the weekly contactless payment cap will not see an increase in prices. And, special single fares between Maybury and the airport on the service will remain, with one adult ticket staying at £3.50 and a child fare remaining at £1.75. The Airlink 100 service dodged the network-wide fare hike in April | Joe Sullivan In April, fares across the Lothian network were increased. Adult single tickets were hiked by 20p to £2.20, while day tickets were increased in price from £5.00 to £5.50. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The daily contactless fare cap was pushed up from £4.80 to £5.00, and the weekly cap jumped from £22.00 to £24.50. Ridacards and child tickets also saw fare hikes, with a monthly Ridacard going from £62.00 to £68.00 and a yearly one from £650 to £700. Fares on services in East and West Lothian were also increased, with most tickets getting a 20p increase. The changes to the Airlink fares will not impact the city's other two airport bus services, the 17 and the 18. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad They will retain their lower fares, which are in line with those on Lothian's other city bus services. Before April, the two routes had special pricing, and were branded differently, but this was changed as part of revisions to the Lothian network that month.. The 17, which connects Leith to the airport, was known as the Skylink 200, while the 18, which ran between the airport and Fort Kinnaird, was the Skylink 400. During the changes in April, Lothian also brought three bus routes in East Lothian – the 120, 121 and 123 – under its East Coast Buses brand. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The company had previously operated them through another subsidiary, Eve Coaches. More information on the Airlink fare increase can be found here, and information on the April fare and service changes can be found here.
BBC News
08-07-2025
- BBC News
New Edinburgh public toilets vandalised before opening day
New public toilets in the Meadows in Edinburgh have been vandalised before they were even opened to the building hosting the toilets, off Middle Meadow Walk, has had its rear wall covered in residents said the lack of toilets in the historic park has meant people were urinating in the surrounding set to open before the summer season, the toilets will now open later this month alongside public toilets in the Leith Links and Inverleith Park. The new toilets are part of a £1m investment across the city to provide more free public toilets, with four new public toilet banks included in the of the four, located in South Queensferry, opened at the end of new toilet blocks will feature three regular toilet cubicles, an accessible toilet and a changing places toilet, as well as tool storage for local community block will also feature bike racks, benches and a drinking water Graham, City of Edinburgh Council's culture and communities convener, said: "I'm extremely disappointed to see that our brand-new facilities have been defaced by graffiti."There is of course a real spectrum of 'graffiti', from formal murals like Colinton Tunnel which have the consent and support of the community, through to offensive tags."The majority of the complaints we receive are about the latter. We're arranging for it to be removed."Reporting by local democracy journalist Joe Sullivan.
